Epidemiology of eating disorders: Current status and future developments

Abstract

The present paper aims were: to provide an overview of development of epidemiology in the area of eating disorders, from studies of incidence and prevalence, through to community based prospective as well as case controlled studies; to summarise the current status of incidence and prevalence of eating disorders; to discuss analytic epidemiological studies of eating disorders, with a focus on community-based studies of risk factors and nosology; and to point to future areas for study, notably the social and economic burden and general population "mental health literacy " of people with eating disorders. In spite of problems in identifying and recruiting sufficient numbers of people with anorexia nervosa and variable methods of case-ascertainment, studies of incidence and prevalence of eating disorders have reached a general consensus and do not in general support a current rising incidence, except possibly a small increase in anorexia nervosa in young women. The application of analytic epidemiologic methods has lead to a greater understanding of environmental and genetic factors, as compared with social and economic factors, to the risk of developing eating disorders, and as well aided the refinement of eating disorder nosology. In the future analytic epidemiology has the potential to answer key questions about the nature and determinants of eating disorders, and to help to decide how to help those who need it most.