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Well, what do you think? Are males suffering from eating disorders? Absolutely yes!
Putting this stereotype aside that eating disorders only occur in women, about one in three people struggling from an eating disorder is a male. The different eating disordered behaviors such as weight loss, binge eating, and laxative abuse are nearly as common in men as they are among women. In the US, alone, an eating disorder will affect 10 million males at some point in their life but due to this stereotype do not seek treatment.
Men don't seek help because of the misconception that eating disorders only occur in females. An eating disorder is not a simple issue, it needs to be addressed, especially in men as they don't come forward with it. Men also wish to have an ideal body which may be muscular, and it can lead to an eating disorder.
The desire for increased musculature is not uncommon, and it crosses age groups. 25% of normal-weight males perceive themselves to be underweight and 90% of teenage boys exercised with the goal of bulking up. Men use steroids, spend excessive time in gyms and spend excessive money on supplements to get a muscular ideal body and this is a living disorder itself known as 'Muscle Dysphoria'.
Manorexia
Even though anorexia nervosa is quite related to females, men can also develop this abnormal eating behavior. Anorexia in men is usually termed as “Manorexia”. This shows that men can also develop anorexia but they show different signs and symptoms. Anorexia often develops in the teenage years when young boys and girls become pressurized by cultural expectations. Teen boys compare their bodies to the bodies in movies and magazines and make an ideal body their aim. Researches show that 35% of men showed manorexia.
A teenager who intends to drop a few pounds with exercise could enter a sort of feedback loop. The pounds the boy drops make him feel better about himself, but he might remain convinced that he needs to lose yet more in order to reach his ultimate goal. But losing another pound or two does not seem effective, so the boy sets out to lose more. At this point, the boy is no longer trying to lose weight for health purposes. This is a boy that is consumed with losing weight, and his behaviors may qualify him for a diagnosis of anorexia.
The signs which are shown by a man suffering from manorexia are:
Preoccupation with weightlifting or bodybuilding
Working out when injured
Weakness
Stress associated with missing a workout
Men which are Identified as homosexuals in our society have a high risk of being diagnosed with anorexia because many pieces of research show that 42% of men who develop disordered eating behaviors are the ones identified as homosexuals. Homosexual men usually have a thinner body which increases their will of having an ideal body which brings them to the edge of anorexia. For example, some men face severe abuse early in life. They may be taunted and teased about weight when they were very young boys, or they may have been targets of sexual abuse or sexual harassment early in life. These abusive incidents can result in a feeling of lifelong victimization and a loss of control.
Anorexia can spring from those roots. Boys and men who change their diets might feel as though they are in control of how others perceive them, maybe for the first time, and that power of anorexia may become a little addictive. Changing body shape or size can also make a man feel as though he isn’t subject to the abuse he felt when he was thicker, and that can be empowering, too. Then there are certain types of athletes who can go through anorexia including gymnasts, bodybuilders, wrestlers, dancers, runners, and swimmers. All these sports require the adjustment of body weight but if that adjustment goes beyond the limit, then, anorexia can be diagnosed. The following image shows the comparison between men and women on different disorders:
Bulimia in Men
Research estimates that 1.5% of women and 0.5% of men in the United States have bulimia. This equates to approximately 4.7 million females and 1.5 million males. Although both men and women can experience eating disorders, here are some things you might not know about eating disorders.
Bulimia isn’t always about body image. There are many other factors involved. Bulimia is a blend of a psychiatric illness and a maladaptive coping skill. Sometimes men develop bulimia as a way to cope with trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, or other uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, sensations, or experiences. Men and women alike often report bulimia and restrictive eating disorder behaviors as providing a temporary sense of relief from life’s stressors, but eventually, these behaviors become entrenched, habitual and chronic, and can lead to a variety of physical and mental health consequences.
While individuals with eating disorders that do not involve body image dissatisfaction may not be in pursuit of dramatic changes to body weight, shape, or size – they are serious nonetheless. This is due to the negative impact on the growth and development of adolescent boys and on bone and the heart and endocrine (hormonal) systems for adult men. Regardless of the triggers, bulimia requires treatment for a complete recovery where patients can develop the functional coping strategies and positive mindset needed for long-term success. Eating disorders can change over time and transition to forms of bulimia. Contrary to popular belief, it is not uncommon for eating disorders to change over time.
Binge eating disorder, for example, is the most common eating disorder affecting males. It is estimated that 40% of those with binge eating disorder are men. Men who struggle with binge eating disorder may go on to develop bulimia if purging is used to cope with the fear of weight gain associated with binge-eating behavior. Due to diet culture and social media biases, people often commonly associate body weight, shape, and size with particular eating disorders and frequently fail to notice eating disorder behaviors and/or excessive exercise in larger-bodied individuals or athletes.
Regardless of body shape and size, any attempt to manage bodyweight concerns by purging through excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, fasting, laxatives, or diuretics can facilitate the development of bulimia and related negative consequences. Many male athletes have bulimia. Research indicates that athletes are 2-3 times more likely than non-athletes to experience eating disorders, with as many as 70% of athletes in weight class sports engaging in dieting or disordered eating behaviors. Many athletes consider their disciplined eating habits, rigorous training strategies, and weight control behaviors to be signs of their commitment to the sport. Given the secretive nature, stigma, and denial surrounding eating disorders, particularly in competitive sports, male athletes are predisposed to hiding their behaviors and justifying their actions using a “win at all cost” mindset. In fact, many eating disordered behaviors exhibited by male athletes easily fly under the radar of concern because they are perceived as within the social norms of the sports culture with which they live.
In contrast to women and female athletes who are often motivated by the thin ideal, men and male athletes may be more likely to engage in behaviors to achieve a particular physique associated with perceived performance and/or health benefit. Although male athletes might not engage in self-induced vomiting, purging through excessive exercise, overtraining in the gym, and chronic caloric restriction or macronutrient manipulation coupled with over-reliance on nutritional supplements and protein powders can severely harm the body over time.
Other components of bulimia, such as binge-eating, could are often rationalized away in the context of sport. For instance, a 'big male appetite' or 'eating big to bulk up for a sport' are both seemingly normalized for boys and for men in our culture. Nevertheless, despite an outward healthy appearance and in spite of one’s participation in sports, these behaviours eventually threaten athletic performance, predispose athletes to injury, have significant consequences to physical and mental health, and require professional treatment.
Thus it can be concluded that eating disorders also occur in men, and the time has come that they are addressed by our society.
REFERENCING
This was again, highly informative!
Highly informative!