Very young boys are also at greater risk, particularly boys 5-12 years old. Avoidance of food, weight loss and preoccupation with weight and food are the most common symptoms in young boys and girls. This is especially troubling, say researchers from Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, because kids should be gaining weight during these important growing years.
Prevalence rates of eating disorders are hard to pin down, because many people don't seek help for their disorder. Some may not even be aware that they have a problem. We do know that there are increasing hospitalizations for eating disorders across Canada. At last count, 10.7 per 100,000 women had been treated for an eating disorder, and 0.7 per 100,000 men. In BC, however, this number is higher. BC has the highest hospitalization rate for women with eating disorders, at 15.9 per 100,000. According to Statistics Canada, 1.5% of British Columbians over 15 are at risk for developing an eating disorder in any given year—that's more than 50,000 people in BC and about half a million nation-wide.
People who develop bulimia nervosa may lose weight, remain the same weight or even gain weight. They have frequent periods of uncontrolled binge eating followed by some type of purging to rid the body of unwanted calories. After a binge, people with bulimia may force themselves to vomit, purge with laxatives, use diuretics, go on a fast or exercise excessively, according to Jessie's Hope Society.
People with anorexia nervosa have an extremely distorted body image. They see themselves as fat and overweight even though their weight may be normal or dangerously low for their age, height and body type. People with anorexia may exercise for hours a day or go for days without eating in order to be thin. Many people with anorexia resist help from others because they fear they will be forced to eat and gain weight. But early diagnosis and treatment can be crucial to survival since anorexia can cause severe malnutrition, dangerously low pulse and blood pressure and even death from starvation. Of those patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, 50% have chronic illness compared to 30% with bulimia nervosa who struggle with chronic illness.
BC spends about $3.4 million on hospital-based care for eating disorders; a recent BC analysis shows it may be spending up to 30 times as much on long-term disability payments for people with anorexia, highlighting the need for prevention and early intervention.
Sadly, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses and annual death rate associated with anorexia is more than 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all other causes combined for females between 15 and 24 years old.
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca)
