Researchers even found that those aged 75 and over can suffer from binge eating or purging problems.
Eating disorders are commonly seen as an issue for young women.
But more than 70 per cent of women aged 50 and over are trying to lose weight.
The study, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, found 62 per cent of older women felt
their weight negatively impacted on their life.
Some reported using a variety of methods to change their body, such as diet pills, diuretics, laxatives and vomiting.
Dr Cynthia Bulik, who led the US study, said:
The bottom line is that eating disorders and weight and shape concerns don’t discriminate on the basis of age
“The bottom line is that eating disorders and weight and shape concerns don’t discriminate on the basis of age.”