Australia: share of population who have experienced binge eating behaviors during their lifetime by age and sex 2021

In the 2021 financial year, approximately one in ten young females aged 16-34 living in Australia had experienced binge eating behaviors during their lifetime. Overall, females were more likely to have experienced binge eating behaviors during their lifetime than males.

Share of population who have experienced binge eating behaviors during their lifetime in Australia as of financial year 2021, by age and sex

Characteristic	Males	Females
16-34	3.8%	9.8%
35-64	2.8%	7%
65-85	0.5%	3.1%
All ages	3%	7.4%

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Release date

July 2022

More information

Region

Australia

Survey time period

December 5, 2020 to July 31, 2021

Number of respondents

5,554 households

Age group

16-85 years

Method of interview

Face-to-face interview

Supplementary notes

Binge eating in the survey is defined as a person eating a large amount of food during a short period of time (more than what most people would eat given the circumstances), associated with feeling this eating is out of control (that is, being unable to prevent these eating behaviours or feeling unable to stop). To be considered binge eating, these behaviours must have occurred at least once a week for several months or longer.

A person may have had more than one mental disorder.

Study included all usual residents in Australia living in private dwellings in both urban and rural areas in all states and territories, except very remote parts of Australia and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The exclusion of residents in special dwellings (e.g., hotels, boarding houses, and institutions) and homeless people means the results are likely to underestimate the prevalence of mental health disorders in the Australian population.

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