About half of them also have bulimia symptoms. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that about 9,000 people admitted to hospitals were diagnosed with bulimia in 1994, the latest year for which statistics are available, and about 8,000 were diagnosed with anorexia. Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18 percent of women and 0.4 percent of men have a history of bulimia and that as many as 1 in 100 females between the ages of 12 and 18 have anorexia. Males account for only 5 to 10 percent of bulimia and anorexia cases. While people of all races develop the disorders, the vast majority of those diagnosed are white.
Most people find it difficult to stop their bulimic or anorectic behavior without professional help.
If untreated, the disorders may become chronic and lead to severe health problems, even death. In the same year, bulimia was the underlying cause of death on two death certificates and mentioned as one of several causes on 64 others. As to the causes of bulimia and anorexia, there are many theories. Another is that defects in key chemical messengers in the brain may contribute to the disorders' development or persistence. Once people begin bingeing and purging, usually in conjunction with a diet, the cycle easily gets out of control.