Eating Disorders in Men
Eating disorders and weight concerns are typically seen as “girl problems,” but 25-40% of diagnoses occur in men. Despite this alarming statistic, men are far less likely to seek support for their disordered eating.
By: Irene Schultz
Keep reading to learn more about eating disorder prevalence among men, the specific impact of these disorders on the male population, and steps you can take to help yourself or a loved one who may be struggling.
Eating Disorders Among Men
About 1 in 3 eating disorder sufferers is male, but a stereotype of eating disorders occurring only in females persists. Due to this cultural bias, men are less likely to seek treatment for their eating disorder. There is also a double stigma for men for having a “girl problem” and seeking psychological help in general. This is incredibly alarming, given that the risk of mortality for males with EDs is higher than it is for females. Men exhibit the same disordered eating behaviors (and at almost nearly the same rates) as females, including binge eating, purging, fasting, and taking laxatives. However, men are more likely to use exercise as a compensatory behavior.
Impacts of Eating Disorders on Men
Men struggling with disordered eating are more likely to suffer from low testosterone levels, insufficient vitamin levels, and a higher risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis. Men with eating disorders often suffer from more comorbid conditions, such as compulsive exercise, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. Male ED sufferers also engage in more suicidal behaviors than females. Finally, unattainable images in the media promote the “ideal” male body type to be lean and muscular, which leads to body dissatisfaction across all male age groups.
Muscle Dysmorphia
An emerging condition among men, especially bodybuilders, is muscle dysmorphia. Also known as “bigorexia,” this disorder involves obsessing about being muscular and can involve spending many hours at the gym, spending a lot of money on supplements, and engaging in disordered eating patterns. Muscle dysmorphia is a serious condition worthy of care. To learn more about muscle dysmorphia, check out this BALANCE blog.
Support for Men with Eating Disorders
Not only are men less likely to seek treatment for their eating disorder, but they all too often are overlooked and go undiagnosed. Since men are almost entirely omitted from research on eating disorders, medical professionals hold the bias toward eating disorders being solely female illnesses, leading to fewer diagnoses of eating disorders in males. Until the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was published, even the diagnostic criteria for eating disorders were biased towards females, requiring amenorrhea (loss of menstruation) for an anorexia nervosa diagnosis.
In addition to raising awareness amongst medical providers and tailoring unique recovery treatment programs for males, men need to know that they are not alone. Toxic masculinity is one of the leading causes of the stigma that men can’t have eating disorders. Opening up the dialogue of disordered eating across genders and normalizing mental health treatment is imperative to getting men the vitally essential help they need and deserve.
If you or a loved one are a man struggling with disordered eating, you deserve support and care. You are encouraged to contact a trusted friend, family member, or medical professional to express your concerns. Consider sharing this blog to help support you with statistics and data for people looking to understand what you are going through. And remember, full recovery is possible with the right care.
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. Additionally, BALANCE offers two FREE Virtual Eating Disorder Support Groups open to individuals seeking help and family and loved ones. The group provides a supportive forum where members can explore issues, including ambivalence about engaging in treatment, recovery, resources, and treatment options, and knowing when and how to take the next steps toward making change. RSVP for our next group here.
Our admissions team would happily answer any questions about our programs and services. Book a free discovery call with our admissions team below, or read more about our philosophy here.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Irene Schultz (she/her).
Irene is a professional dancer/actress based in Manhattan, NYC. She holds a B.F.A. in Commercial Dance and a B.A. in English/Writing from Pace University. Growing up in the arts and entertainment industry, with its extreme focus on thinness, Irene experienced and witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of toxic diet culture. Irene completed her M.Ed. in Health Education and Promotion at Plymouth State University, where she was enrolled in the Eating Disorders Institute, the only graduate program in the world approved by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), and the nation’s only eating disorder specialist certificate program of it’s kind. When she is not onstage performing, Irene enjoys hiking, swimming, traveling, cooking, doing yoga, cuddling with her cat, and helping other artists and individuals heal their relationship with food and their bodies. She is excited to combine her passions for eating disorder recovery and writing by contributing to the Balance blog.
References
“Eating Disorders in Men & Boys.” National Eating Disorders Association, 26 Feb. 2018, https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/research-on-males.
Kumar, Naveen. “Eating Disorders in Men: Underdiagnosed and Undertreated.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 23 Nov. 2021, https://www.healthline.com/health/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-in-men#What-do-eating-disorders-in-men-look-like?
Muhlheim, Lauren. “What to Know about Male Eating Disorders.” Verywell Mind, 13 Nov. 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/male-eating-disorders-4140606.