Eating disorders in Arkansas: trends observed over fourteen years

The purpose of this study was to explore trends among patients presenting to an outpatient multidisciplinary child and adolescent eating disorders program over a period of fourteen years (1997-2010).

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved chart review was performed on demographic, physical and psychological data collected at intake on 507 patients who presented to the eating disorders program during the target time period. Gender, age, ethnicity, diagnosis, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), bone density and Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) are among some of the variables collected.

Diagnoses include Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). Gender representation included 472 females, 35 males with increased male representation noted across years; age ranged from 5 to 21 with younger ages increasingly represented across years; ethnicity included Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Asian and Other with increased minority representation noted across years; BMI 12.0 to 36.9 with lower BMIs noted in more recent years; REE results (n = 441) ranged from 60 to 153% with the lower percent results noted within the last five years.

Observed trends are consistent with expectations and support trends noted in existing literature and illustrate eating disorders as progressively more nondiscriminatory with regard to age, gender, and ethnicity. Severity of illness may be trending towards worse at the time of initial evaluation indicating that patients are being identified and/or are presenting for treatment after symptoms have become significant.