Eating disorders and death rates

People with eating disorders are more likely to die early either from the effects of their eating disorder or because they kill themselves. There is evidence that people with eating disorders are more likely to kill themselves than people with other mental-health problems. Most of the research into raised mortality in people with eating disorders has focused on anorexia but less is known about death rates in people with bulimia or other eating disorders that don't fit into the framework of anorexia or bulimia. Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School studied 1,885 people turning up for treatment at an eating disorders clinic. 177 had anorexia, 906 had bulimia and 802 had other eating problems (eating disorders not otherwise specified - EDNOS). The death rates were 4% for anorexia, 3.9% for bulimia and 5.2% for EDNOS. Death rates were significantly higher than normal for bulimia and EDNOS and suicide rates were also higher for these conditions too.

Crow, Scott J. ... [et al] - Increased mortality in bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders American Journal of Psychiatry December 2009, 166(12), 1342-1346