Eating Disorders in Men

Eating Disorders in Men

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Eating disorders have mostly been investigated within the female population. To a large extent this is because of the apparent prevalence of eating disorders in women. On closer inspection however gender distributions of eating disorders show about 10 per cent of people with anorexia are men.

Doctors fail to recognize male eating disorders
To date the evidence suggests that the gender bias of clinicians mean that diagnosing either bulimia or anorexia in men is less likely despite identical behavior. Men are more likely to be diagnosed as suffering depression with associated appetite changes than receive a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder.

Eating disorders and occupation
There are a few occupations in which the demand for low body weights can lead to anorexia or bulimia; among them are horse racing, modelling, dancing, distance running and driving.

Little recognition male eating disorders
The lack of visibility of anorexia or bulimia in the male world means a number of things. Men do not discuss eating disorders. Men tend not to share the information with other men because the subject is a female issue. Men's beauty has to do with body mass, muscle bulge and definition, not weight loss. This male world, socially defined as powerful and masculine results in men not seeking help because of their reluctance to admit to the problem.

Research into male eating disorders
A large US study of adolescents reported in 1995 does show that significant numbers of young males experiencing problem weight control behavior.

· 2%-3% of males diet all the time or more than ten times a year

· 5%-14% of males deliberately vomit after eating

· 12%-21% had a history of binge eating

A study published in the April 2001 American Journal of Psychiatry found many psychological similarities between men and women with eating disorders, with both groups experiencing similar symptoms.

Athletes and Eating Disorders

The number of athletes with eating disorders continues to rise, especially among those involved in sports that place great emphasis on the athlete to be thin. Athletes involved in sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, cheer leading, dancing, ballet, synchronized swimming, diving, horse racing and ski jumping are at higher risk for developing an eating disorder than are non-athletes or athletes involved in sports like basketball, football or weight lifting.

Athletes with an eating disorder may have the same basic mentality than non-athletes with an eating disorder, but athletes tend to have different reasons for continuing with eating disorders. The mentality to continue for non-athletes is looking good. For athletes the mentality is slightly the same.

Any sport that requires thinness or weight control
places athletes at-risk for developing an eating disorder.

Many male and female athletes fall victim to eating disorders in a desperate attempt to be thin in order to please coaches and judges. Many coaches are guilty of pressuring these athletes to be thin by criticizing them or making reference to their weight. Those comments could cause an athlete to resort to dangerous methods of weight control and can do serious emotional damage to the athlete.

Body shape and genetics make it nearly impossible
for some athletes to lose weight and remain healthy.
/ German ski jumper Sven Hannawald struggled with anorexia in the past after adopting a radical weight-loss program. Competitors described him as looking like "a skeleton" - coaches finally convinced him to change his eating habits. Sven seems to have overcome his inner demons and erased any doubts about his abilities.

In a way, eating disorders are diets and fitness or sports programs gone horribly wrong. A person wants to lose weight, get fit, excel in his or her sport, but then develops obsessive thoughts about food and training, ultimately losing control and ending up with body and spirit ravaged by starvation, binge eating, purging, and compulsive exercise. What may have begun as a solution to problems of low self-esteem has now become an even bigger problem in its own right.

Austrian ski-jumper Christian Moser battled an eating disorder in 1996 and was hospitalized, after which his career went downhill.