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Eating disorder statistics, facts and figures can be sobering, and the numbers of those who are struggling seem to be increasing. However, there is help available, including right here in Utah County.

We’re coming up on national Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which is observed this year from Feb. 24 through March 2. This is a perfect time to learn more about these dangerous conditions.

While there are different types of eating disorders, a basic definition is that they are illnesses associated with severe disturbances in people’s thoughts and emotions that cause disturbances in their eating behaviors. Some different eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, more than 28 million Americans, or 9% of the U.S. population, will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Every 52 minutes, one person dies in the United States as a consequence of an eating disorder.

Global eating disorder prevalence increased from 3.5% to 7.9% between 2000 and 2018. Eating disorders have the second-highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness behind opiate addiction.

Courtesy Jeremy Hall

Anorexia sufferers are 31 times more likely to make a suicide attempt than the general population. Furthermore, the financial cost per year associated with eating disorders — including health system costs, productivity and efficiency losses, and informal care — is estimated to be $64.7 billion, according to Nicole Hawkins, Center for Change CEO.

“I do believe eating disorder diagnoses are on the rise,” Hawkins said. “There was an epidemic of eating disorders among our adolescents during COVID and, unfortunately, the demand has not slowed down.”

Center for Change is an eating disorder treatment center that serves around 10,000 patients each year in its three locations: Orem, Cottonwood Heights and Boise, Idaho. “We offer acute/inpatient services, residential services, partial hospitalization program, intensive outpatient programming, outpatient therapy, outpatient group therapy, free family support groups and an outpatient medical and psychiatric clinic,” Hawkins said.

The Center for Change, which serves people from all over the country, was founded in 1996. At that time, it was the third eating disorder program in the country. Now there are an estimated 228 eating disorder treatment centers in the U.S.

According to the Utah Women & Leadership Project, risk factors and triggers for eating disorders vary for each person, but there are some that are often present. One glaring example is media influences and unrealistic beauty standards. “Images found in fashion magazines and characters in television programs, movies and toys for children have portrayed unattainable female figures for decades, and many previous studies have sounded their alarm regarding their impact on girls and women,” states a UWLP report.

Other risk factors include family history of eating disorders or mental health conditions, history of dieting, perfectionism, impulsivity, body image dissatisfaction, weight stigma, teasing and bullying about weight, and personal trauma.

While we often think of eating disorders as only affecting teens and young women, that is not the case. In fact, men represent about 25% of people with eating disorders, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Some reports show that women between the ages of 35 to 55 have the highest rate of disordered eating. Any person, at any stage of life, can struggle with an eating disorder.

Some signs of eating disorders include refusal to eat certain foods, excessive exercise, avoiding situations involving food, eating rituals, dressing in layers or baggy clothing, frequent mirror checks, extreme mood swings and preoccupation with weight loss, food, calories and dieting.

Next week, I will share more information about what we can do to spread awareness and help prevent eating disorders. We can all do our part to combat these dangerous and life-altering illnesses.

If you or someone you know is in need of help or support, call the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline at 866-662-1235, text 741-741 or visit AllianceforEatingDisorders.com, anad.org or nationaleatingdisorders.org.