神经性暴食症的平均起病年龄在18岁左右,但是程度较轻的暴食及清除行为更加常见。符合神经性暴食症诊断标准的很多患者可能都得不到医疗上的帮助。在接受治疗的群体中,45%~75%的患者能够完全康复,27%的患者能够显著好转,23%的患者进展成为慢性病程。粗略估计的病死率在0.32%~3.9%。大多数的神经性暴食症患者继续积极的生活。[105]Støving RK, Andries A, Brixen K, et al. Gender differences in outcome of eating disorders: a retrospective cohort study. Psychiatry Res. 2011;186:362-366.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20826003?tool=bestpractice.com[106]Steinhausen HC, Weber S. The outcome of bulimia nervosa: findings from one-quarter century of research. Am J Psychiatry. 2009;166:1331-1341.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19884225?tool=bestpractice.com[107]Lavender JM, De Young KP, Franko DL, et al. An investigation of the joint longitudinal trajectories of low body weight, binge eating, and purging in women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord. 2011;44:679-686.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22072404?tool=bestpractice.com[108]Keel PK, Gravener JA, Joiner TE Jr, et al. Twenty-year follow-up of bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders not otherwise specified. Int J Eat Disord. 2010 Sep;43:492-497.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19718666?tool=bestpractice.com[109]Crow SJ, Peterson CB, Swanson SA, et al. Increased mortality in bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2009;166:1342-1346.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19833789?tool=bestpractice.com