Bulimia Facts & Figures

Source: Center For Change

• The average American woman is 5' 4", weighs 140 lbs., and wears a size 14 dress.

• The "ideal" woman portrayed by models, Miss America, Barbie dolls, and screen actresses is 5' 7", weighs 100 lbs., and wears a size 8.

• One-third of all American women wear a size 16 or larger.

• 75% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance.

• 50% of American women are on a diet at any one time.

• Between 90% and 99% of reducing diets fail to produce permanent weight loss.

• Two-thirds of dieters regain the weight within one year. Virtually all regain it within five years.

• The diet industry (diet foods, diet programs, diet drugs, etc.) takes in over $40 billion each year, and is still growing.

• Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents.

• 50% of 9-year-old girls and 80% of 10-year-old girls have dieted.

• Anorexia has the highest mortality rate (up to 20%) of any psychiatric diagnosis.

• 1% of teenage girls, and 5% of college-age women become anorexic or bulimic.