Do not use extreme dieting, fasting, or self-induced vomiting to control weight; if you want to lose weight, focus on exercise instead.
People with anorexia nervosa have a mortality rate roughly 5.9 times higher than their peers. Across 1,000 people followed for one year, about 5.1 die. One out of every five of those deceased individuals died by suicide. The root cause often starts with dieting: a three-year study of students at 44 secondary schools found that girls who dieted severely were 18 times more likely to develop eating disorders than those who did not diet. To control weight, prioritize exercise rather than cutting food intake to the point of hunger.
No cost at all. In fact, it saves money compared to buying…
This conclusion is backed by 36 separate studies involving a total of 166,642 person-years of follow-up on ind…
No cost at all. In fact, it saves money compared to buying weight-loss products.
This conclusion is backed by 36 separate studies involving a total of 166,642 person-years of follow-up on individuals with anorexia nervosa. Their standardized mortality ratio was 5.86, meaning their death risk is 5.9 times higher than that of people of the same age. Across 1,000 person-years, 5.1 deaths occurred, and roughly one fifth of those deaths were suicides. For bulimia nervosa, the standardized mortality ratio is 1.93, and 1.92 for other eating disorders, both roughly 1.9 times higher than the general population. Another study conducted in 44 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia, tracked 14–15-year-old students over three years with six rounds of assessments. It found that new cases of eating disorders emerged at a rate of 21.8 per 1,000 person-years among girls, meaning 21.8 new cases occurred per 1,000 girls each year. Girls who dieted severely had an 18-fold higher risk of developing eating disorders than those who did not diet, while those who dieted moderately had a 5-fold higher risk. After adjusting for prior dieting habits and pre-existing mental health issues, factors like BMI, exercise levels, and gender no longer predicted new cases of eating disorders. The authors concluded that for adolescents, using exercise rather than diet restriction to control weight appears to lower the risk of developing eating disorders.
Arcelus J et al. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74；Patton GC et al. (1999). Onset of adolescent eating disorders: population based cohort study over 3 years. BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7186.765
Open source linkThe term “severe dieting” here refers to consistently consuming far less food than the body needs over a long period, not simply skipping one meal or avoiding late-night snacks. If you experience self-induced vomiting, feel guilty after binge eating, or find yourself compulsively weighing yourself, seek help from a psychiatrist or clinical psychology department at a general hospital. This is a treatable medical condition, not a matter of lacking willpower. Information on the relationship between BMI and mortality is provided in Section 2, Item 33, which focuses on long-term weight ranges rather than weight-loss methods.