Let’s Talk About Eating Disorders – Johns Hopkins

Quick stats:

• 8 million Americans experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives.
• Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders, surpassed only by opioid use disorder.

Source: National Eating Disorders Association

Eating disorders are behavioral conditions in which normal eating habits become disrupted and rewarded in an unhealthy way. They can affect a person’s physical and mental health, and often happen in combination with other psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety or substance use disorder. 

Anyone can struggle with an eating disorder. It can occur in any age group, gender, ethnicity or racial group. Eating disorders appear to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors.