Men and Eating Disorders
It is a myth that only women develop eating disorders. Men develop Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder and the symptoms are the same for men and women. Men comprise approximately 5-10% of all people with eating disorders. For many men there is a stigma attached to eating disorders as a “female illness.” Because of this, men may hesitate to seek treatment. Reluctance of men to admit a problem leads to questions about the accuracy of available statistics for this populatin. It is important that the language used to talk about eating disorders be inclusive to reflect the diversity of those who develop this disorder.
p. The ideal image of masculinity is that of a muscular, athletic male. Advertisements geared toward women focus on calories and dieting while the messages to men focus on body building and toning. Many men try to “bulk up” thus using exercise rather than dieting as the preferred method to reshaping their body. Because of the emphasis on physical fitness for males, there is greater anabolic steroid use to increase muscle mass and boost strength.
Psychological profiles of men and women with eating disorders tend to be similar. Both sexes struggle with underlying issues of inadequacy, interpersonal ineffectiveness, difficulty with self expression, and body image. The gender specific differences include:
- History of being overweight as a child: It appears that men are more likely to develop eating disorders due to “real” overweight concerns whereas body image distortion and dissatisfaction, regardless of actual weight, predisposes women to the development of eating disorders.
- Occupations/Sports that reinforce body-image dissatisfaction: Jockeys, dancers, flight attendants, models, swimmers, divers, wrestlers, gymnasts, and boxers are increasingly vulnerable to develop an eating disorder because of the weight restrictions.
- Sexuality: There are studies to support both a correlation between eating disorders and male homosexuality and research that minimizes this correlation. This complex issue warrants further research and exploration.
Adapted from National Eating Disorders Association www.NationalEatingDisorders.org 1-800-931-2237
