Eating Disorders During Adulthood

Abstract

Although many people think of eating disorders as phenomena of early or middle adolescence, this is not entirely the case. In a recent study by Grataco`s et al. (2010) of over 1,200 patients in four European countries, the mean age of onset was nearly 17 (SD = 4.08) for anorexia nervosa (AN) and 19.3 for bulimia nervosa (BN) (SD = 6.24). Consequently, this entry focuses on preventing the spectrum of disordered eating behavior (DEB) in emerging adults (ages 18 through the mid-to-late 20s) and in adults. We frequently draw upon definitions, theories, and other information presented in the entry (▶Eating Disorders During Adolescence) on preventing negative body image, unhealthy weight and shape concerns, disordered eating, and clinically diagnosable eating disorders (ED) in adolescents.