Has the Mortality Rate of Eating Disorders Changed?What the Latest Research Tells Us — and Why Early Support Matters More Than Ever
Eating disorders are often misunderstood as attention-seeking behaviors or extreme diets — but the reality is far more serious. These are complex psychiatric illnesses that affect every system in the body. And for many, they can be deadly.
So the question is:
Have mortality rates improved over time?
Are we doing better at helping people recover before it’s too late?
Let’s explore the most recent research on eating disorder mortality, what’s changed (and what hasn’t), and why awareness and early treatment are still our most powerful tools.
Eating Disorders: Still Among the Deadliest Mental Illnesses
Eating disorders — including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and ARFID — remain among the psychiatric conditions with the highest mortality rates (second only to opioid addiction).
A landmark meta-analysis (Arcelus et al., 2011) found that individuals with anorexia nervosa are 5 to 10 times more likely to die than peers without the disorder. More recent data confirm this risk remains high.
Anorexia nervosa continues to have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness — due to both medical complications and suicide (SMR = 5.21).
(Schaumberg et al., 2025; Eating Behaviors Journal)
Recent Data on Mortality
Anorexia Nervosa
Standardized mortality ratio (SMR): 5.21
Causes of death: cardiac arrest, electrolyte imbalance, organ failure, suicide
Bulimia Nervosa
SMR: Up to 11.24, especially more than 10 years after diagnosis
Often underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially in higher-weight individuals
Complications include cardiac issues, GI damage, and substance use
(Fichter & Quadflieg, 2021)
Binge Eating Disorder
Less research on direct mortality, but associated with:
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Depression and suicidality
The health risks are real — even without purging or restriction.
What’s Changed — and What Hasn’t
Despite increased awareness and expanded diagnostic criteria (DSM-5), mortality rates for eating disorders have not significantly improved over the past decade (Schaumberg et al., 2025). Why?
Reasons mortality remains high:
Delayed diagnosis — especially in larger-bodied individuals or males
Medical complications go unnoticed until it's too late
Under-resourced treatment (limited access to specialized care)
Stigma — people feel shame, not support
High rates of co-occurring mental illness (depression, anxiety, trauma)
What Lowers Mortality? Early, Compassionate, Specialized Care
The sooner someone receives proper treatment, the better their chance of recovery — and survival.
Effective intervention includes:
Nutritional rehabilitation
Medical monitoring
Therapy (CBT-E, FBT, DBT, trauma-informed approaches)
Psychiatric care for co-occurring conditions
Family and peer support
Programs that provide multidisciplinary care can significantly reduce risk and increase long-term healing.
Final Thought
Eating disorders are still stealing lives — quietly and powerfully. The data may not have changed much, but our understanding and advocacy can.
If you're wondering whether you or your loved one is "sick enough," remember this:
You don’t need to be dying to deserve help. You need to be hurting.
And hurting is enough.
Let’s keep raising awareness, reducing stigma, and pushing for accessible, life-saving care.
References
Schaumberg, K., et al. (2025). Mortality in eating disorders: A meta-analytic update. Eating Behaviors, 46, 101-110.
Fichter, M. M., & Quadflieg, N. (2021). Mortality in eating disorders: Results of a 20-year follow-up study. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 143(6), 611–622.
Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724–731.
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). (2023). Statistics & Research on Eating Disorders. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics
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