Eating disorders in men. It’s not something we hear discussed very often, but since eating disorders are a psychological problem they can affect anyone – regardless of sex.
The charity Men Get Eating Disorders Too says that eating disorders in men form between 10 to 25% of eating disorder diagnoses in the UK. Many of these men find it difficult to get treatment. Also, the secretive nature of eating disorders means that many men suffering from them may go undiagnosed.
In a recent survey EDucation carried out on eating behaviour, 89% of male respondents admitted to having engaged in disordered eating behaviour such as self-induced vomiting, calorie counting and cutting out food groups. That looks something like this:
In a second survey posted shortly after this, men were asked to anonymously share their experiences with eating and exercise issues. The number of responses?
Zero.
Given the previous findings, it appears that eating and exercise problems are certainly present in men. Why might men feel unable to share their experiences?
Matt, 20, said:
“There’s got to be some personal insecurity there, I suppose. Most of them probably won’t even recognise that they’ve got an eating disorder. They don’t know that men have them, so they probably think they can’t have one.”
Chris, 21, said:
“I think the worry is that eating disorders are things that are considered incredibly feminine. To discuss them or admit to worrying about them would make the man inherently feminine. That in turn would seem degrading because that’s how our patriarchal society forces us to look at it. It’s something ingrained very deeply into our society and it takes a lot for someone to ignore it.”
Eating disorder charity BEAT says: “One of the most common symptoms of eating disorders in boys is an excessive concern about fitness leading to over–exercising.” Exercise disorders such as compulsive exercise and “bigorexia” can easily be mistaken for a commitment to sports or keeping fit.
Matt, 20, said:
“People think guys are keeping in shape, not doing it because they think there’s something wrong with them. People just think they’re trying to be men.”
Joseph, 20, said:
“It’s all about the perfect body – I think some men are so obsessed with those six-pack v-cut abs and perfectly sculptured arms, so they will do what it takes to get there. Society does not help with images of perfect male bodies at every popular outlet, and these influences combined with the desire of men to have the perfect body results in eating disorders not only on a minority scale.”
It is vital to remember eating disorders in men are a real issue. It could be anything: anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, exercise disorders or any combination of the above. Men too deserve respect, support and medical attention for these problems.
Do you think there should be a greater awareness of eating disorders in men?
EDucation: Explaining Eating Disorders 