Introduction to Epidemiology

There is consensus that eating disorder prevalence and impact are on the rise and are present in people of diverse cultural backgrounds. This introduction briefly covers current developments related to the global prevalence and incidence, the burden of mortality, and eating disorder prevalence differences between the ICD-11 and DSM-5 ED criteria. The section on epidemiology discusses a broad sweep of eating disorders across the globe, including “Western” countries, Eastern Europe, East and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America as well as within special populations (Indigenous peoples). The section also covers eating disorders in the context of a recent global pandemic. The directions for future research on the epidemiology of eating disorders are also suggested.