Is it rare for a male to have an eating disorder?

Males struggle with eating disorders too.

But it’s different to women.

In a way that boys and men aren’t discussing these issues in the ways that girls and women do.

What’s worse, they don’t necessarily see these issues as particularly relevant to them.

In fact, those who had been diagnosed with eating disorders all seemed to say the same thing:

They didn’t know that boys and men suffered from eating disorders until they were the ones suffering.

This mostly due to stigma around male eating disorders and a lack of awareness even within the medical profession.

Before the pandemic began, there was evidence that eating disorders were on the rise.

You don’t need to be a psychologist to appreciate that two years of navigating COVID-19 has negatively impacted many people’s mental health.

Further, research indicates that the pandemic has created a context of isolation, anxiety and decreased access to social support and psychological support services; eating disorder symptoms have increased.

How Eating Disorders in Boys and Men Differ

Boys and men often don’t conform to popular stereotypes of eating disorders; they may not be underweight, and although they may restrict what they eat, they may also be very active.

In fact, body image concerns among men often focus on muscularity and gaining weight and muscle.

This poses a challenge for medical professionals.

A severely underweight patient who is afraid of gaining weight can more easily be identified as struggling with an eating disorder than a patient committed to “clean” eating and daily gym workouts.

And yet, research indicates that 1/4 to 1/3 of eating disorder patients are boys and men.

The most common eating disorder is binge eating disorder, which is characterized by binge episodes that are not followed by compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging).

The majority of these boys and men are unlikely to seek treatment for their eating disorder, and the fatality rate.

Already among the highest fatality rate for any mental health condition – is higher among men with eating disorders than women.

Even in less extreme cases, eating disorders can lead to damage in all organ systems and low levels of testosterone among boys and men.

Decades of research indicates that these disorders are resistant to treatment, chronic and have direct and indirect health consequences. For example, one in five patients with anorexia die by suicide.

Treatment for Eating Disorders

Recognizing the seriousness of eating disorders and the vulnerability of all genders to experience eating disorders (studies indicate that non-binary and trans individuals appear to be at heightened risk) has improved.

Yet there’s a long way to go to achieve widespread appreciation of the devastating consequences of these illnesses.

Statistics about eating disorder risks make it clear that treatment for these disorders is essential.

Although there is less stigma surrounding mental illness than their once was, plenty of stigma still lingers.

Add to this the persistent feminization of eating disorders, and it’s no wonder that boys and men are left out when it comes to support and treatment.

Normalizing conversation about these topics will make help-seeking more likely when disorders develop.

Only by raising awareness and talking about experiences, we can help change things for the better.

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