Average age of children with anorexia falls to 13

Children barely into their teens are developing a potentially fatal eating disorder, with new research showing the average age for developing anorexia nervosa is now 13 years.

The authors express concern about the potential effects of orthodontic treatment on eating patterns — that dental work resulting in oral pain may have a bearing on the development of an eating disorder. They say this needed further study.

The researchers at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin note that a number of children had commenced orthodontic treatment prior to the onset of anorexia.