| Abstract: | This paper presents age of onset data for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, derived from a sample of 323 patients referred to a tertiary referral center. Patients had anorexia nervosa (n = 39), bulimia nervosa (n = 173), or bulimia nervosa with a history of anorexia nervosa (n = 173). While the pattern of onset of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is similar up to age 25, there is a significant excess of new cases of anorexia nervosa beyond this point. Significantly, age of onset was constant for both anorexia nervosa and bulimia regardless of whether they occurred in isolation (anorexia or bulimia alone) or in concert in the same individual (bulimia with a history of anorexia nervosa). |
