[Increased incidence of anorexia nervosa in Denmark]

Register information from the Danish Central Psychiatric Register about 915 anonymous patients, who during the period 1970-1989 had their first admission to a psychiatric institution in Denmark and had an eating disorder as their main diagnosis, ICD 8 306.50-59, were studied with regard to change in incidence. The incidence of these admissions increased from 0.42/100,000 in 1970 to a maximum of 1.36/100,000 in 1988. For women 15-24 years of age the incidence increased three times to 8.97/100,000 in 1989. During the time of our investigation, the number of discharges of patients with an eating disorder as their main diagnosis was constant from somatic hospitals, whereas discharges in general from psychiatric institutions increased.