Just some stats

16,952 a year die from eating disorders

Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness – it is estimated that 10% of individuals with anorexia will die within 10 years of the onset of the disorder.
42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner
81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat
The average American woman is 5’4" tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5’11" tall and weighs 117 pounds.
Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women
51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet
46% of 9-11 year-olds are "sometimes" or "very often" on diets
82% of their families are "sometimes" or "very often" on diets
91% of women recently surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, 22% dieted "often" or "always"
35% of "normal dieters" progress to pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25% progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders
Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting and diet-related products each year



The aim of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.