We can sometimes fall into the stereotype of thinking that eating disorders are something that only affect women. While it is true that many women do suffer from a bad body image that leads to them not eating correctly, the same is true of a growing proportion of men as well.
Bulimia, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders are no longer just territory for skinny teenage girls but are now relatively common in men too. It is thought that a large number of men are starving themselves or doing excessive exercise in an attempt to look like the pictures of models that they see in men’s magazines.
However, experts say that neither men themselves, nor most doctors, think of males as being at risk for these illnesses. This could be a very worrying sign as it shows that many people don’t even consider men with eating disorders to really be a problem. This is problematic as recent studies suggest one case in three of anorexia nervosa is a male, and that figure is one in four for bulimia.
Because eating disorders have been so long considered ‘women’s problem’ they now come attached to a lot of stigma and isolation. This can make it very difficult for men who develop eating disorders first to accept this is the case, and then to have the courage to admit it and seek some treatment for the problem.
If they do seek treatment and find themselves in a therapy group with a number of women where they are the only man this can only make things worse. Yet it is known that men develop eating disorders for the same reasons women do. It is very important that there is more education about how eating disorders can affect anyone.
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