Men Are Affected By Eating Disorders Too
The majority of people picture a female when they think of eating disorders. But excluding men from that picture is preventing them from receiving the kind of help and support they need to improve their condition. New research published in the BMJ has identified several themes to help men in confronting the disorder.
1 in 10 Affected Is A Man
Certainly, women are affected more than men. Still, about 10-15% of those suffering from anorexia or bulimia are men, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Since there is poor recognition of the disease in men, the numbers are likely higher.
Men Don't Recognize Their Own Symptoms
For this study, 39 people with an eating disorder were interviewed. Ten of them were men. Among the men, there were four common themes: recognition of early signs and symptoms, recognition of the problem, getting help, and initial contact with health care and support services. Many of the men didn’t realize that the obsessive calorie counting, starvation or pathological exercising were indicators of an eating disorder. The belief that eating disorders only affected women was one of the driving reasons they didn’t realize they were sick.
Underdiagnosed and Undertreated
“Men with eating disorders are underdiagnosed, undertreated and under-researched. Our findings suggest that men may experience particular problems in recognizing that they may have an eating disorder as a result of the continuing cultural construction of eating disorders as uniquely or predominantly a female problem,” noted the research team.
Moving Away From Gender Identification
“It is important to decouple the experience and (self) management of eating disorders from feminized cultural imagery, resources, and clinical practice if we wish to prevent men from dismissing signs and symptoms themselves, and prevent health and other professionals (eg teachers) from overlooking signs and symptoms in boys and young men that they may readily recognize as indicative of eating disorders in young women,” researchers concluded.
Sources: MedicalNewsToday, BMJ
Photo: Pexels
More Articles
There is currently no approved drug for anorexia nervosa, a common and occasionally fatal eating disorder. Research showed that low doses of a...
In the past, eating disorders were primarily considered to be behavior. This overly-simplistic misunderstanding of the issue only created more...
Sudden light-headedness can be a frightening experience for anyone, particularly if you are unsure of the cause. For many, experiencing occasional...
Maintaining a balanced diet not only keeps our body functioning at its best, it also keeps our skin, hair, and nails looking bright and healthy....
Researchers are closer to finding the genetic cause for binge eating and might be getting closer to an effective treatment. “Based upon our...
More Articles
More Articles
There is currently no approved drug for anorexia nervosa, a common and occasionally fatal eating disorder. Research showed that low doses of a...
In the past, eating disorders were primarily considered to be behavior. This overly-simplistic misunderstanding of the issue only created more...
Sudden light-headedness can be a frightening experience for anyone, particularly if you are unsure of the cause. For many, experiencing occasional...
Maintaining a balanced diet not only keeps our body functioning at its best, it also keeps our skin, hair, and nails looking bright and healthy....
Researchers are closer to finding the genetic cause for binge eating and might be getting closer to an effective treatment. “Based upon our...
When a person begins recovery treatment for anorexia nervosa, they may need to initiate a process known as refeeding. The refeeding process is a...
When a baby is in utero, they develop fine white hairs all over their body. These are known as lanugo hairs and they protect the baby’s skin from...
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics found more than 90 percent of patients with eating disorders not specifically defined (EDNOS) in...
Eating disorders might be hard to talk about, or even to admit to yourself. If you know, or if you even suspect, you have an eating disorder,...
If you suspect your child has an eating disorder, you may feel overwhelmed. There are a few things you should know upfront.
First and...
Eating disorders don't discriminate. They don't care if you're rich or poor, they don't care about your color or gender, and they don't care if...
In the U.S., an estimated one in 200 people develop an eating disorder. That is a startling number, but another number is even more alarming: one...
A lot of what people know about eating disorders comes from "common knowledge." Unfortunately, common knowledge isn't always correct, or it may...
Anorexia is a serious eating disorder that is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight. In many cases, people suffering from this...
Most people find holidays stressful, but the thought of facing holidays can be overwhelming for a person with an eating disorder. If a special day...
