Disordered eating behaviours is reported in sixty-five percent (three out of four) of American women between the ages of 25 and 45. The research survey was carried out in April 2008 by Self Magazine with the help of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Symptoms of eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are found in another 10 percent of women. It means that 75 percent of women in this country suffer from negative thoughts related to food and their body.
Research Facts on Disordered Eating in Women:
- The study found that these findings were not limited to any particular age or ethnic group.
- White, African American, Hispanic or Latina and Asian were found to be equally affected with unhealthy eating behaviors.
- The researchers were surprised to know that many women resorted to induced vomiting as an attempt to lose weight. Such a behaviour suggests towards serious eating disorders.
- More than 31 percent women had induced vomiting and taking laxatives, diuretics or diet pills to lose weight.
- More than 50 percent of these women forcefully vomited on a daily basis or at least a few times in a week.
- Though eating disorders mostly affect young women, the severity of this complication in women in their 30s and 40s was no different from their younger counterparts.
- 49 percent women sometimes eat when they are not hungry and 12 percent of them do so on regular basis.
- 26 percent women cut their entire food groups and 13 percent on them irrationaly rely on smoking to lose weight.
- 37 percent of them skip meals regularly and 16 percent of them diet around 1000 calories per day.
- For 39 percent women what they eat and how their weigh decide their happiness.
- 27 percent eel extremely upset on gaining even five pounds of weight.
- 53 percent of women on diet continue losing weight in spite of reaching healthy weight status.
- There are 67 percent women without disordered eating behaviours and trying to lose weight properly.
