Age for developing an eating disorder falls

The age at which people start developing an eating disorder has fallen in recent years. Bodywhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, has found that the average age of onset of anorexia nervosa has dropped from 15-24 to 14-19.

Training and development manager with Bodywhys, Harriet Parsons, said an eating disorder could totally obliterate a person’s life.

“Early intervention is so important so that the eating disorder does not affect a person’s ability to progress through school, college and onto a job,” said Ms Parsons.