Eating Disorder Behaviors Are Increasing: Findings from Two Sequential Community Surveys in South Australia
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence for an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders is inconsistent. Our aim was to determine change in the population point prevalence of eating disorder behaviors over a 10-year period. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Eating disorder behaviors were assessed in consecutive general population surveys of men and women conducted in 1995 (n = 3001, 72% respondents) and 2005 (n = 3047, 63.1% respondents). Participants were randomly sampled from households in rural and metropolitan South Australia. There was a significant (all p<0.01) and over two-fold increase in the prevalence of binge eating, purging (self-induced vomiting and/or laxative or diuretic misuse) and strict dieting or fasting for weight or shape control among both genders. The most common diagnosis in 2005 was either binge eating disorder or other "eating disorders not otherwise specified" (EDNOS; n = 119, 4.2%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In this population sample the point prevalence of eating disorder behaviors increased over the past decade. Cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, as currently defined, remain uncommon.
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Australian research suggests that prevalence of diagnosable eating disorders is increasing.
“Australian research suggests that prevalence of diagnosable eating disorders is increasing. 118”
From Assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome: Summary of an evidence-based guideline (2011) · cites this paper as [118]
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- Authors
- Hay, P. J., Mond, J., Buttner, P., & Darby, A.
- Affiliations
- Western Sydney University (AU)
- La Trobe University (AU)
- James Cook University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Hay, Phillipa J.
- Venue
- PLoS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2008-02-06
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- e1541
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2212110
- OpenAlex
- W2017207776
- Cited by
- 335
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 32 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 22.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ResearchOnline - JCU (James Cook University) (submittedVersion)
- eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- James Cook University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- eating disorders, binge eating, purging behavior, self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, dieting, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating disorder not otherwise specified, South Australia
- MeSH terms
- Feeding and Eating Disorders, Australia, Body Image, Bulimia, Diet, Reducing, Fasting, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Residence Characteristics, Prevalence
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