New Research on Eating Disorders
Anorexia, Binging, & Unhealthy Eating Habits Affect 65% of Women
A new online eating disorders survey reveals that most women struggle with binge eating, anorexia, or other unhealthy eating habits. Here's why the results are skewed.
Self Magazine recently conducted an online eating disorders survey. Over 4,000 women between the ages of 25 and 45 participated in this study. The research revealed that 3 out of 4 women struggle with unhealthy eating habits. An additional 10% struggle with more serious eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.
It’s important to note that these results may not represent the American population as a whole. This eating disorders survey represents Self Magazine readers, who may be more interested in size, shape, beauty, and body image than women who don’t read Self. Women who aren’t as focused on their appearance or body weight may not have participated in this online eating disorders survey.
Since Self’s online eating disorders survey wasn’t a controlled trial of thousands of random people, their findings can't be applied to all American women.
New Research on Eating Disorders
Self Magazine’s survey on eating disorders was conducted in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UBC). The study leaders included Cynthia R. Bulik, Ph.D., William and Jeanne Jordan Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the School of Medicine’s department of psychiatry and director of the UNC Eating Disorders Program
The online survey revealed that:
- 75% of women report disordered eating behaviors or symptoms consistent with eating disorders; so 3 out of 4 have an unhealthy relationship with food or their bodies
- 67% of women (excluding those with actual eating disorders) are trying to lose weight
- 53% of dieters are already at a healthy weight and are still trying to lose weight
- 39% of women say concerns about what they eat or weigh interfere with their happiness
- 37% regularly skip meals to try to lose weight
- 27% would be “extremely upset” if they gained just five pounds
- 26% cut out entire food groups
- 16% have dieted on 1,000 calories a day or fewer
- 13% smoke to lose weight
- 12% often eat when they’re not hungry; 49% sometimes do
What Surprised the Researchers
“What we found most surprising was the unexpectedly high number of women who engage in unhealthy purging activities,” said Bulik, who is also a nutrition professor at the School of Public Health. “More than 31% of women in the survey reported that in an attempt to lose weight they had induced vomiting or had taken laxatives, diuretics or diet pills at some point in their life. Among these women, more than 50% engaged in purging activities at least a few times a week and many did so every day.”
What Were the Goals of Self's Online Eating Disorders Survey?
This online survey could help women recognize what’s normal, what’s dangerous, and how they can develop a more positive body image, says Lucy Danziger, the editor-in-chief of Self Magazine. The goal is to help women develop less obsessive, more accepting attitudes towards their bodies.
The May 2008 issue of Self Magazine will include tips to help all women focus on healthy eating habits. Self’s tips for staying healthy include separating mood from food (stopping emotional eating), eliminating extreme thinking, eating breakfast, and finding realistic body role models.
Questions to Ponder
Are eating disorders, such as binge eating, anorexia, and extreme dieting more common among women who read women’s magazines?
Are these results surprising, given our culture’s obsession with perfection, beauty, and flawless features?
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Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. April 22, 2008. “Survey Finds Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Three Out of Four American Women.”
