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Journal ArticleDOI

Social and economic cost of eating disorders in the United States: Evidence to inform policy action

TL;DR: In this article, the authors estimated one-year costs of eating disorders in the United States from a societal perspective, including the costs to the U.S. health system, individual and family productivity costs, lost wellbeing, and other societal economic costs.
Abstract: Objective To estimate one-year costs of eating disorders in the United States (U.S.) from a societal perspective, including the costs to the U.S. health system, individual and family productivity costs, lost wellbeing, and other societal economic costs, by setting and payer. Findings will inform needed policy action to mitigate the impact of eating disorders in the U.S. Method Costs of eating disorders were estimated using a bottom-up cost-of-illness methodology, based on the estimated one-year prevalence of eating disorders. Intangible costs of reduced wellbeing were also estimated using disability-adjusted life years. Results Total economic costs associated with eating disorders were estimated to be $64.7 billion (95% CI: $63.5-$66.0 billion) in fiscal year 2018-2019, equivalent to $11,808 per affected person (95% CI: $11,754-$11,863 per affected person). Otherwise Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder accounted for 35% of total economic costs, followed by Binge Eating Disorder (30%), Bulimia Nervosa (18%) and Anorexia Nervosa (17%). The substantial reduction in wellbeing associated with eating disorders was further valued at $326.5 billion (95% CI: $316.8-$336.2 billion). Discussion The impact of eating disorders in the U.S. is substantial when considering both economic costs and reduced wellbeing (nearly $400 billion in fiscal year 2018-2019). Study findings underscore the urgency of identifying effective policy actions to reduce the impact of eating disorders, such as through primary prevention and screening to identify people with emerging or early eating disorders in primary care, schools, and workplaces and ensuring access to early evidence-based treatment.
Citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed DSM-5 BED diagnosis in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and found that up to 23% of individuals with BED had attempted suicide, and virtually all reported lifetime mental health symptoms: 70% mood disorders, 68% substance use disorders, 59% anxiety disorders, 49% borderline personality disorder, and 32% posttraumatic stress disorder.
Abstract: Purpose of review Binge eating disorder (BED) is a new diagnosis in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Recent findings DSM-5 BED is currently estimated to affect 1.5% of women and 0.3% of men worldwide; a lifetime diagnosis of DSM-5 BED is reported by 0.6-1.8% of women and 0.3-0.7% of men. In adolescence, BED is even more prevalent, but often transient. Many adults with BED report longstanding symptoms; less than half are recognized in healthcare. Commonly co-occurring conditions include obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. In a nationally representative US-based study, up to 23% of individuals with BED had attempted suicide, and virtually all (94%) reported lifetime mental health symptoms: 70% mood disorders, 68% substance use disorders, 59% anxiety disorders, 49% borderline personality disorder, and 32% posttraumatic stress disorder. Data on mortality are scarce, but the standardized mortality ratio of BED is estimated to be 1.5-1.8. Various minority statuses, deprivation, violence, trauma, and major mental illness may increase the risk of BED. Summary BED is often invisible and overlooked, perhaps due to societal biases. For this reason, prevention, detection, and management of BED are closely linked with social justice and equity.

36 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by regular binge eating episodes during which individuals ingest comparably large amounts of food and experience loss of control over their eating behavior as discussed by the authors .
Abstract: Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by regular binge eating episodes during which individuals ingest comparably large amounts of food and experience loss of control over their eating behaviour. The worldwide prevalence of BED for the years 2018–2020 is estimated to be 0.6–1.8% in adult women and 0.3–0.7% in adult men. BED is commonly associated with obesity and with somatic and mental health comorbidities. People with BED experience considerable burden and impairments in quality of life, and, at the same time, BED often goes undetected and untreated. The aetiology of BED is complex, including genetic and environmental factors as well as neuroendocrinological and neurobiological contributions. Neurobiological findings highlight impairments in reward processing, inhibitory control and emotion regulation in people with BED, and these neurobiological domains are targets for emerging treatment approaches. Psychotherapy is the first-line treatment for BED. Recognition and research on BED has increased since its inclusion into DSM-5; however, continuing efforts are needed to understand underlying mechanisms of BED and to improve prevention and treatment outcomes for this disorder. These efforts should also include screening, identification and implementation of evidence-based interventions in routine clinical practice settings such as primary care and mental health outpatient clinics. Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder that is characterized by loss of control of eating behaviour and episodes of eating very large amounts of food. This Primer discusses the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of binge eating disorder.

28 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors evaluated the psychometric properties of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) among patients with eating disorders (EDs) given lack of validation of Facebook addiction measures in this population.
Abstract: Facebook addiction is increasing, giving rise to limited real-life social networks, loneliness, poor work and academic performance, psychopathology, and low well-being. Facebook entails numerous factors that increase the risk for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (e.g., use time and Facebook activities such as social grooming and photo sharing). This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) among patients with eating disorders (EDs) given lack of validation of Facebook addiction measures in this population.A cross-sectional study involving 123 inpatient and outpatient women with EDs (Mean age = 27.3, SD = 10.6, range = 14-59 years) used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multigroup CFA, structural equation modeling (SEM), Spearman's rho Spearman's analysis, McDonald's Omega (ω), Cronbach's alpha (α), and item-total correlations to examine the structure, invariance, criterion validity, reliability, and discriminant validity of the BFAS.Correlating the residuals of items 2, 3, and 5 resulted in an excellent fit of a one-factor structure of the BFAS (χ2(7) = 8.515, p = .289, CFI = .998, TLI = .996, RMSEA = .042, SRMR = .0099). The BFAS was invariant at the configural, metric, and scalar levels across groups of EDs, age, education, and marital status. High values of ω and α (.96) as well as item-total correlations (.851-.929) indicated excellent reliability and high discrimination index of the BFAS. Criterion validity is noted by strong positive correlation with the Six-item Internet Addiction Test (S-IAT, r = .88) and SEM using the S-IAT to predict the BFAS (χ2(49) = 103.701, p = .001, CFI = .975, TLI = .966, RMSEA = .096, SRMR = .0317)..The BFAS is a reliable unidimensional measure. Its high discrimination index and invariance across different groups make it useful for detecting Facebook addiction among patients with ED.

16 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , the Eating Attitudes Test 26 (EAT-26) was administered for pre-specified exploratory purposes at baseline and at study termination, and participants with severe PTSD received treatment in a double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal trial of MDMA-AT.

13 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , the authors identify recent temporal changes in the prevalence of different cognitive and behavioral eating disorder (ED) symptoms, current probable EDs, lifetime ED diagnoses, and mental healthcare use among college students across the United States, and determine whether established disparities in ED prevalence and receiving mental healthcare have widened or narrowed over time for marginalized groups within this population.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to: (1) identify recent temporal changes in the prevalence of different cognitive and behavioral eating disorder (ED) symptoms, current probable EDs, lifetime ED diagnoses, and mental healthcare use among college students across the United States; (2) determine whether established disparities in ED prevalence and receiving mental healthcare have widened or narrowed over time for marginalized groups within this population. METHOD Participants included a large national sample of U.S. college students (N = 286,720) who completed the repeated cross-sectional Healthy Minds Study from 2013 to 2020. Descriptive statistics and polynomial regressions quantified time-trends in participants' ED symptoms and past 12-month mental healthcare. Moderated regressions examined temporal changes in ED symptoms and mental healthcare based on sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS Individuals' engagement in different cognitive and behavioral ED symptoms, and likelihoods of exhibiting current probable EDs, reporting lifetime ED diagnoses, and (for individuals with current probable EDs) receiving therapy or counseling in the past 12-months exhibited nonlinear increases from 2013 to 2020. Further, the prevalence of current and lifetime ED symptoms and (for symptomatic individuals) past 12-month mental healthcare differed over time for individuals with different BMIs and gender, sexual, and racial/ethnic identities (but not ages). In particular, individuals with higher BMIs and those who identified as male, bisexual, and gay, lesbian, or queer exhibited increasing ED pathology over time. DISCUSSION These findings provide important information on groups of U.S. college students that have experienced increasing burden of ED symptoms and may help guide ED prevention, treatment, and research priorities. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE Recent temporal changes in the prevalence of eating disorder (ED) symptoms and mental healthcare were examined in a national sample of U.S. young adults. Non-linear increases in ED symptoms and mental healthcare were identified among U.S. young adults overall from 2013 to 2020. U.S. young adults with higher BMIs, males, bisexual, and gay, lesbian, or queer individuals exhibited increasing ED burden over time.

11 citations

References
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TL;DR: All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421–723) to 853 million (642–1100).

7,419 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010 (GBD 2010) as discussed by the authors was used to estimate the burden of disease attributable to mental and substance use disorders in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost to premature mortality (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs).

4,753 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Eating disorders, although relatively uncommon, represent a public health concern because they are frequently associated with other psychopathology and role impairment, and are frequently under-treated.

4,304 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a systematic literature search, appraisal, and meta-analysis were conducted of the MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases and 4 full-text collections (ie, ScienceDirect, Ingenta Select, Ovid, and Wiley-Blackwell Interscience).
Abstract: Context Morbidity and mortality rates in patients with eating disorders are thought to be high, but exact rates remain to be clarified. Objective To systematically compile and analyze the mortality rates in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Data Sources A systematic literature search, appraisal, and meta-analysis were conducted of the MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases and 4 full-text collections (ie, ScienceDirect, Ingenta Select, Ovid, and Wiley-Blackwell Interscience). Study Selection English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between January 1, 1966, and September 30, 2010, that reported mortality rates in patients with eating disorders. Data Extraction Primary data were extracted as raw numbers or confidence intervals and corrected for years of observation and sample size (ie, person-years of observation). Weighted proportion meta-analysis was used to adjust for study size using the DerSimonian-Laird model to allow for heterogeneity inclusion in the analysis. Data Synthesis From 143 potentially relevant articles, we found 36 quantitative studies with sufficient data for extraction. The studies reported outcomes of AN during 166 642 person-years, BN during 32 798 person-years, and EDNOS during 22 644 person-years. The weighted mortality rates (ie, deaths per 1000 person-years) were 5.1 for AN, 1.7 for BN, and 3.3 for EDNOS. The standardized mortality ratios were 5.86 for AN, 1.93 for BN, and 1.92 for EDNOS. One in 5 individuals with AN who died had committed suicide. Conclusions Individuals with eating disorders have significantly elevated mortality rates, with the highest rates occurring in those with AN. The mortality rates for BN and EDNOS are similar. The study found age at assessment to be a significant predictor of mortality for patients with AN. Further research is needed to identify predictors of mortality in patients with BN and EDNOS.

1,773 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Eating disorders and subthreshold eating conditions are prevalent in the general adolescent population and their impact is demonstrated by generally strong associations with other psychiatric disorders, role impairment, and suicidality.
Abstract: Context Eating disorders are severe conditions, but little is known about the prevalence or correlates of these disorders from population-based surveys of adolescents. Objectives To examine the prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in a large, reprefentative sample of US adolescents. Design Cross-sectional survey of adolescents with face-to-face interviews using a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Setting Combined household and school adolescent samples. Participants Nationally representative sample of 10 123 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders and subthreshold conditions. Results Lifetime prevalence estimates of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder were 0.3%, 0.9%, and 1.6%, respectively. Important differences were observed between eating disorder subtypes concerning sociodemographic correlates, psychiatric comorbidity, role impairment, and suicidality. Although the majority of adolescents with an eating disorder sought some form of treatment, only a minority received treatment specifically for their eating or weight problems. Analyses of 2 related subthreshold conditions suggest that these conditions are often clinically significant. Conclusions Eating disorders and subthreshold eating conditions are prevalent in the general adolescent population. Their impact is demonstrated by generally strong associations with other psychiatric disorders, role impairment, and suicidality. The unmet treatment needs in the adolescent population place these disorders as important public health concerns.

1,351 citations