Females with anorexic relatives are 11.4x likely to develop anorexia
Grajewo More people are developing eating disorders.
Eating problems are quickly becoming one of the most dangerous health conditions across the UK.
Unlike drugs or alcohol addictions, eating issues does not require you to develop an addiction to a specific product.
Everyone is at risk of having a food problem.
Since the pandemic, many people have noticed they may have gained or lost some weight during the lockdown.
In return, this has caused a rise in individuals developing eating disorders.
How addictive are eating disorders?
They are treated as behavioural addictions due to people developing an addiction to an activity rather than a substance. See more about rehab treatments here.
A person can become addicted to behaviours associated with anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorders.
Some people may find themselves easily addicted to habits related to eating problems, and may find it harder for them to overcome their eating problems.
However, some may become dangerously dependent on making sure they fulfil their need to be a specific weight.
Common misconceptions about having an eating disorder
“Eating problems only affect women.”
While they may be more common amongst women, men still suffer from eating issues. On average, 1 in 100 thousand men suffer from an eating disorder.
“There is no death rate associated with anorexia.”
Anorexia has caused more deaths in comparison to other mental health conditions.
5.1 deaths out of every 1000 are caused by anorexia.
“Only young people experience food issues.”
Not all people who have an eating problem are young people.
Eating issues have impacted a range of people across different age groups.
Age Group | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
5 - 10 | 12,296 | 4,689 |
11 – 24 | 44,084 | 125,871 |
25 – 29 | 20,549 | 61,347 |
Source: Beat Eating Disorders
- “Eating issues are not a family trait.”
While an eating problem cannot be passed down from one generation to another generation, it has been reported that a woman who has anorexia relatives are 11.4 times likely to develop anorexia as well.
Getting help for an eating disorder
When getting help for any eating issue that you or a loved one are experiencing, you must decide on the right place.
Some people may decide to get help as an inpatient or an outpatient.
While you choose what works for you, you should also consider the opinions of medical experts such as your GP.
If you are struggling with any eating problem, please visit our useful links for information and resources.
