Bulimia
Bulimia affects females 9 times more often than males. Approximately one to three percent women develop bulimia in their lifetime. About 2% to 3% of women are currently affected in the United States. New cases occur in about 12 per 100,000 population per year. The standardized mortality ratios for bulimia is 1% to 3%. Binge eating disorder
Reported rates vary from 1.3 to 30% among subjects seeking weight-loss treatment. Based on surveys, BED appears to affected about 1-2% at some point in their life, with 0.1-1% of people affected in a given year. BED is more common among females than males. There have been no published studies investigating the effects of BED on mortality, although it is comorbid with disorders that are known to increase mortality risks. Economics
Since 2017, the number of cost-effectiveness studies regarding eating disorders appears to be increasing in the past six years. In 2011 United States dollars, annual healthcare costs were $1,869 greater among individuals with eating disorders compared to the general population. The added presence of mental health comorbidities was also associated with higher, but not statistically significant, costs difference of $1,993. In 2013 Canadian dollars, the total hospital cost per admission for treatment of anorexia nervosa was $51,349 and the total societal cost was $54,932 based on an average length of stay of 37.9 days. For every unit increase in body mass index, there was also a 15.7% decrease in hospital cost.
"Right frontal intracerebral lesions with their close relationship to the limbic system could be causative for eating disorders, we therefore recommend performing a cranial MRI in all patients with suspected eating disorders" (Trummer M et al. 2002), "intracranial pathology should also be considered however certain is the diagnosis of early-onset anorexia nervosa. Second, neuroimaging plays an important part in diagnosing early-onset anorexia nervosa, both from a clinical and a research prospective". (OBrien et al. 2001). Psychological
After ruling out organic causes and the initial diagnosis of an eating disorder being made by a medical professional, a trained mental health professional aids in the assessment and treatment of the underlying psychological components of the eating disorder and any comorbid psychological conditions. The clinician conducts a clinical interview and may employ various psychometric tests. Some are general in nature while others were devised specifically for use in the assessment of eating disorders. Some of the general tests that may be used are the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory.