Foundation

About Inner Door Foundation

Inner Door Foundation was created, in 2006, to raise public awareness about eating disorders along with promote education and holistic treatment.

Mary-Kate Olsen, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Jaimie-Lynn Sigler, and Dennis Quaid all have something in common... they all have a history of eating disorders. With the media hype, you may be under the impression that eating disorders are only found in famous celebrities. But look harder…. an individual with an eating disorder could be your next door neighbor, your co-worker, or even your child — an elementary school student, adolescent, teen, young adult, middle age adult— or perhaps your aging parent.

Eating disorders do not discriminate among socioeconomic status, race, religion, age or even gender. Let's look at some statistics:

It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men
One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia, while two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia
A total of 50% of the 50 million individuals undergoing treatment for obesity are binge eaters
A total of 30 - 50% of individuals with eating disorders abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, compared to 9% of the general population.
A significantly high percentage of individuals with eating disorders have one or more co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Diagnoses of an eating disorder have been made in children less than 12 years of age and as old as age 75.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and can affect every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. Eating disorders can result in cardiac arrest, diabetes, chronic renal failure and neurological damage, along with bowel, breast and reproductive cancers.

Eating disorders are prevalent today in young and old, men and women. Eating disorders are not a "choice." They are biologically based and effect the entire body's mental and physical health, while affecting the ability of a person to be fully happy and productive in his/her life.