Eating Disorders in Australia
Eating disorders affects up to 1.1 million Australians (that’s over 4% of the population). More people die from eating disorders than any other mental health condition.
Eating disorder symptoms have been rising since the late 1990s. Of particular concern is a trend showing 27% of eating disorders cases in Australia are in those aged 10 – 19 years of age, almost double what it was in 2012.
The average age of onset for Anorexia Nervosa is 16 years, with Bulimia Nervosa following at 18 years, but more and more children are being diagnosed at ages younger than this.
Around 2 out of 3 of people with eating disorders in Australia are female with 80-85% of those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa also being female.
An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that has short and long term medical effects on a person’s life. Getting help early and engaging with qualified health professionals is essential to recovery.
You can check out our CCEDS video series on eating disorders here.
Coral Coast Eating Disorder Service 