A study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic revealed that the incidence of anorexia nervosa among young women has risen steadily for the last 50 years.
The findings were published in a recent issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders. Researchers analyzed 2,806 medical records between 1935 and 1989 of individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa as well as bulimia, eating disorder, and amenorrhea, all of which can indicate anorexia. Incidence rates were highest for women and men between the ages of 15 – 19 years.
Dr. Alexander Lucas of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota reported that “in the most vulnerable group, 15- to 24-year-old-females, a continual rise in incidence was observed throughout the 55 years of the study.”
