Bulimia quick facts

• Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors.
• An average binge is said to happen around eleven times a week
• 4 percent of college-aged women have bulimia.
• The word bulimia derives from the Latin (būlīmia), which originally comes from the Greek βουλιμία (boulīmia; ravenous hunger), a compound of βους (bous), ox + λιμός (līmos), hunger.
• 95 percent to 98 percent of bulimics tend to be women.
• Bulimia nervosa can be difficult to detect, compared to anorexia nervosa, because bulimics tend to be of average or slightly above or below average weight.
• Bulimia affects approximately 1 to 3% of adolescents in the U.S., with the illness usually beginning in late adolescence or early adult life.
• There are higher rates of eating disorders in groups involved in activities which idealize a slim physique, such as dance, gymnastics, modeling, cheerleading, running, acting, rowing and figure skating.
• Only an estimated 5 to 15% of people with bulimia nervosa are male.
  Bulimia nervosa is more prevalent among Caucasians.
• Girls and women from all ethnic and racial groups may suffer from bulimia nervosa.