Eating Disorders

Men in general are raised to think that an eating disorder is not supposed to be something that happens to them. With the men who actually seek treatment, there is yet a tendency for programs to exclude them on the basis of gender! This is a topic that very few men’s magazines dare to touch upon. The nation’s collective noise on eating disorders in combination with body image is focused primarily on the female gender. Social programming has conditioned many of us to just not be able to view males as “victims” of such a problem. But here is a startling fact: one out of every six instances of eating disorders is diagnosed to men. Men are neglected and dismissed from such an affliction and this could be a real problem because the same mentality is held in this nation for rape and sexual harassment – “it happens only to women, not men!”

When women have an eating disorder, they tend to think in terms of whether they are thin or fat. This is where the difference between the two genders becomes apparent. Men do not think along those lines. Rather, they tend to see it as “weak” or “strong.” Taking anorexia nervosa and bulimia into perspective, men who think this way may feel that being “fat” will make them viewed upon as “weak,” lazy, disgusting, and unmanly. Also, another difference between men and women in this situation, are their treatment requirements. This is only natural because each has their own separate preoccupations regarding body image.

Anecdotal proof dictates that the problem of eating disorders amongst men is increasing. It is estimated that out of eight million Americans who are afflicted with eating disorders, one million are male. Yet, the false belief that it is only a “girl problem” is still widespread. Due to this bandwagon way of thinking, it appears that physicians are less likely to recognize the symptoms in men even when they are staring them in the face. Men who are involved in athletic programs where body shape and proportions are essential, such as ice skating and dance, are more prone to developing eating disorders.

Hopefully this has broken some ice and enlightened some about the realities of eating disorders in the male population. It is for the most part overlooked, and should not be. It really does exist, and people’s general ignorance of it is indirectly denying men their right to treatment!