Eating disorders are more prominent in women, but male eating disorders are more common than many think. Most estimates suggest that ten percent of those with eating disorders are men, but these estimates may be low. For example, a study from the University of Toronto estimates that one in every six people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is male.
Eating Disorders in Men Sometimes Due to Getting Lighter for Competition
Men are susceptible to cultural demands for perfect bodies just as women are. These demands take different forms for men. Eating disorders in boys can begin in their desire to be competitive. Adolescent boys dealing with changes in their bodies are many times beginning to have more interest in sports. In some cases, sports create unique problems.
Consider the many ways in which high school wrestlers have lost weight to allow them to compete in a lighter weight bracket. Motivated by the desire for performance and achievement, some simply stop eating for a period before a meet's weigh-in. Others exercise in dangerous ways -- for example, running while wearing rubber suits.
Other sports also place a premium on being light. Jockeys have long taken extreme measures to maintain a very low weight, including various forms of purging (Seabiscuit, the 2003 horse racing film, touches on this very briefly). And runners are always susceptible to sacrificing body weight in an effort to increase speed and be more competitive.
It is a short jump from these behavioral patterns to full-fledged eating disorders. Restriction of food or purging behaviors (or both) can seem to be convenient shortcuts to success.
Getting Bigger in Unhealthy Ways
Men tend to value having lean bodies with high muscle mass. These goals are not bad goals. But unhealthy desire for "perfection" can lead to use of human growth hormone or steroids to bulk up. Some men work out because they are experience symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, a preoccupation with obscure aspects of one's appearance. When men at the gym spend as much time in front of the mirror as they spend working out, a problem may be present.
Causes and Risks of Eating Disorders in Men
Athletic competition may be a more common trigger for eating disorders in men, but underlying issues that fuel the development of eating disorders in men are similar to those in women. Men who develop eating disorders often have low self-esteem and may suffer from depression, abusive histories, demanding families, or other factors.
Cultural Issues Affecting Eating Disorders in Men
Given that we generally recognize eating disorders as problems that only women have, men who experience disordered eating may feel too much shame to get the help they need. Being perceived as feminine in any way can feel too risky.
The sense that eating disorders are not for the "masculine" plays out in other ways as well. Many men associate eating disorders in males with being gay. There is a correlation: Eating disorders are more prominent in gay males than in straight males. One report indicates that 20% of males with eating disorders are gay. The gay community places more importance on appearance than does the general male population. Whether this accounts for the entire difference is not known.
The net result is that men with eating disorders may fear that others will assume that they're gay. This is a tragic barrier between these men and movement toward healing.
Moving Forward
Men have little sense that there is freedom to discuss eating disorders in their lives. Unlike alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse, which have gained acceptance as being "normal" and treatable, eating disorders remain foreign to many. In addition, men with eating disorders often think that the disorder casts doubt on their masculinity. A vital task for the professional community and for our culture is to normalize these conditions and encourage men to seek help.
If you are a man concerned about your eating, check with your doctor or another qualified professional. And if you don't get the answers you seek, keep looking.
Sources:
Natenshon, Abigail. Males with eating disorders. Accessed 8 November 2006.
The Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders. Issues for men with eating disorders. Accessed 8 November 2006.
