Anorexia in young children may be on the rise The number of children with anorexia nervosa is on the rise, with research based on a documented study of eating disorders in children and young people conducted in the UK and Ireland in 2015, reporting 305 cases of children and young people with new anorexia nervosa over an eight-month period Average age between 14 and 15 years. Overall, this means that there are approximately 14 cases of anorexia nervosa per 100,000 young people aged 8 to 17 years per year. The number of cases varied considerably by age and gender, with anorexia more common in girls and among 12- to 16-year-olds, findings that would seem to confirm previous research suggesting that anorexia is a particular problem among adolescent girls. The researchers found evidence that there were more new cases of anorexia among children aged 8 to 12 years than there were 10 years ago. The study included only children who were evaluated by child and adolescent psychiatrists for new cases during this period. This means that the study will not identify children with anorexia nervosa whose condition is not being noticed, who are not being sought for help or who are being treated by a general practitioner or other services. The study was funded by the National Institutes of HealthResearch and published in the peer-reviewed journal BMJOpen, which is available free online. The number of anorexia nervosa increases as children get older: 0.43 per 100,000 8-year-olds 3.65 per 100,000 11-year-olds 19.95 per 100,000 13-year-olds 30.37 per 100,000 16-year-olds Conclusion: Although we often discuss childhood obesity, eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa) are serious and can lead to lifelong problems and even life-threatening conditions in some cases. If you are concerned that your child may have an eating disorder, make an appointment for them to see a doctor as soon as possible. The sooner they get help, the more likely they are to make a full recovery.