Disparities in Bulimia Nervosa: Who is left behind?

•We examine disparities in diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa.•We find substantial income and racial disparities in the treatment of Bulimia.•We illustrate the problems with examining incidence based solely on treatment.

Bulimia nervosa is a serious eating disorder affecting a large number of female teenagers. We find substantial income and racial disparities in the treatment of Bulimia. Specifically, Blacks and girls from low income families are more likely to exhibit bulimic behavior than Whites and girls from high income families, but Whites and girls from high income families are much more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder.