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1: MedGenMed. 2004 Sep 27;6(3):49.Click here to read Click here to read Links

Prevalence of eating disorders: a comparison of Western and non-Western countries.

Makino M, Tsuboi K, Dennerstein L.

Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of eating disorders between Western and non-Western countries. METHOD: Potential references were identified through an English-language literature search using Medline and Medscape articles. RESULTS: Prevalence rates in Western countries for anorexia nervosa ranged from 0.1% to 5.7% in female subjects. Prevalence rates for bulimia nervosa ranged from 0% to 2.1% in males and from 0.3% to 7.3% in female subjects in Western countries. Prevalence rates in non-Western countries for bulimia nervosa ranged from 0.46% to 3.2% in female subjects. Studies of eating attitudes indicate abnormal eating attitudes in non-Western countries have been gradually increasing. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of eating disorders in non-Western countries is lower than that of the Western countries but appears to be increasing.

PMID: 15520673 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1435625