Review of the burden of eating disorders: mortality, disability, costs, quality of life, and family burden

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the recent literature on the burden of eating disorders in terms of mortality, disability, quality of life, economic cost, and family burden, compared with people without an eating disorder. RECENT FINDINGS: Estimates are that yearly over 3.3 million healthy life years worldwide are lost because of eating disorders. In contrast to other mental disorders, in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa years lived with disability (YLDs) have increased. Despite treatment advances, mortality rates of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa remain very high: those who have received inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa still have a more than five times increased mortality risk. Mortality risks…