Who suffers from binge eating disorder?

2% of the American population suffers from binge eating disorder, these figures are slightly less in the UK but as America and the UK have very similar socioeconomic status the statistics are very comparable. Lifetime prevalence rate estimates of binge-eating disorder range from 1 to 5% of the general population. Some sources suggest that 3% of the overall UK population currently has BED. In Australia, the estimate is 4%.

Binge eating disorder can affect both women and men, although women are more prone to the disorder than men. Male susceptibility is more common for binge eating disorder than that of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa. A large-scale national survey in 2007 found that 3.5% of women and 2% of men reported histories of binge-eating disorder. Based on this data, about 65% of those with binge eating disorder are women; 35% are men. Most binge eaters are overweight and 8% are obese (defined as being 20% above healthy weight). However, some binge eaters manage to remain around a healthy body weight for their age and height.

Binge eating disorder commonly tends to occur around late adolescence or early adulthood, though it can develop in any person of any age. This is because it is a mental illness and depends on the emotional state of the individual at a certain point in their life. The binge eating is triggered by a major life change or a particularly traumatic emotional event, such as divorce, a death in the family, or physical or sexual abuse.

Dieting raises the likelihood of binging: Among girls, those dieting are 12 times more likely to binge eat than those who are not. It is also estimated that 30% of those who undergo weight loss treatment have binge eating disorder.

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