Eating disorders are on the rise among midlife women. Clinics are reporting a sharp increase in eating disorders among women in their forties, fifties and sixties. Latest figures suggest that around 3-4% of midlife women currently have an eating disorder, while about 15% report having experienced one at some point in their lives. “We’ve seen a noticeable rise in eating disorders among midlife women (aged 40-60) in the UK, particularly over the last five years since the pandemic and, this pattern has continued,” says Dr Joanna Silver, Lead Psychological Therapist at Orri, a specialist eating disorder treatment clinic in London that offers outpatient, day care and virtual programmes.
