Obesity is deadlier than anorexia 2.0 As requested: First, from Epidemiology of Eating Disorders: Incidence, Prevalence and Mortality Rates: In a recent meta-analysis of 35 published studies [54••], the weighted CMR for AN was 5.1 deaths (95 % CI: 3.99-6.14) per 1000 person-years, translating into 5.1 % per decade or 0.51 % per year. One in five individuals with AN who died had committed suicide [54••]. In other words, the estimated mortality rate is 5.1 deaths per 1,000 years of life for those with anorexia nervosa Now, from Body-Mass Index and Mortality among 1.46 Million White Adults, in particular, this chart, shows a 5.9 mortality rate, or 5.9 deaths per 1,000 years of life for those with BMI 40+ Not to mention the highest risk group (read: by far the highest prevalence) for anorexia, i.e. young girls, have a community (read: estimated) prevalence rate of 0.29% (mean average of data as calculated in the metastudy), whereas this study, which shows the prevalence for obesity (BMI 30+) was at 34% in 2006, which is probably a lowball now given ten years time. Note that BMI 30-40 appears to have a lower mortality rate than anorexia, still, this data shows that obesity is much more lethal than the HAES movement purports.  We shouldn't ignore anorexia, it is a serious disease.  But obesity is not just "who you are", it has serious health consequences.