Eating disorders in men are steadily rising but remain undiagnosed because they are not taken as seriously as women’s eating disorders. But as with women’s bodies, men’s body image is also under the microscope due to the advent of social media, creating a worrisome trend of anxiety in boys and men alike. This anxiety, in turn, is leading to harmful eating disorder symptoms in males. Let’s discuss this in detail:
So, Can Men Have Eating Disorders?
Men always have had eating disorders but this bulging problem largely went unnoticed due to the fact the general population does not take these disorders in men seriously. To answer the question, can men have eating disorders? Yes! Men can and do have eating disorders. It is just that due to the continued stigmatization of eating disorders, there are misdiagnoses and most of these go unreported by the afflicted individuals themselves.
What Different Types Of Eating Disorders in Men Exist?
Eating disorders may seem similar to each other but differ entirely while some overlap. The most common eating disorders in males include but are not limited to Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and Binge Eating Disorder.
Learn More: A major understanding of Signs and Symptoms of Eating disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Historically associated with females, its gendered classification did no good when most of the mental health literature associated with it exclusively included females. Anorexia is defined by typical behavior in people where they avoid eating due to one or another reason. It is further characterized by the individual’s refusal to eat and limitations on certain types of food. They commonly fear gaining weight even when they are eating less than the total amount of calories needed for the day, which is actually leading to weight loss. Anorexia Nervosa tends to be dangerous to affected individuals because of its high mortality rate when compared to other mental health problems. Some of the signs of this eating disorder in males are:
Symptoms
- Emaciated look
- Distorted body image
- Obsession with thinness
- Low Self-esteem (There is no ideal weight-loss goal for them)
- Denial of health problems stemming from the excessive weight loss
Bulimia Nervosa
This eating disorder is characterized by a severe form of overeating. Sufferers often feel the need to eat excessive amounts of food and are rarely in control. Certain stimuli, for example, feeling shame or guilt of overeating can also trigger excessive weight-loss behavior like cardio and fasting and they may also try to self-induce vomit, while also trying to make use of laxatives to compensate for overeating. Looking for these eating disorder symptoms in males can help with preventive measures.
Symptoms
- Extremely inflamed and sore throat
- Gastrointestinal problems such as Acid Reflux
- Swelling in the Salivary Glands
- Tooth decay due to excessive stomach acid
The Binging-eating Disorder
Binging-eating Disorder is another overeating mental problem plaguing men now. This one though is not characterized by the compensatory behavior present in Bulimia Nervosa, which is why most sufferers of the disorder tend to be obese. The symptoms below may explain some of the signs of an eating disorder in males for Binge-eating:
Symptoms
- Quick eating
- Eating after feeling full
- Eating secretly out of fear of embarrassment
- Guilt of overeating
- Obesity
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Similar in nature to Anorexia Nervosa, where it is defined by selective eating habits of those inflicted but in contrast, sufferers don’t feel body dysmorphia or have an excessive fear of losing weight. Although they can even be selective about the “type” of the food they eat.
Symptoms
- Food is restricted to a specific type and amount
- Low Appetite
- Gastrointestinal Issues
- Types and the amount of food gets more restricted overtime
These are part of the common eating disorders in males, which sometimes arise in combination with each other as their prevalence together is not mutually exclusive. There are other less common eating disorders in males but there isn’t a lot of literature about them in existence.
Learn More:
The Early Warning Signs of Eating Disorder in Men
The symptoms discussed above are specific to certain disorders. To be on the lookout for eating disorders and initiate early intervention like psychotherapy, one should know the early warning signs of an eating disorder in males.
While the warning signs of the impending eating disorder can be physical, predominantly these are psychological and behavioral. We should always remember that. Sometimes there can be a combination of symptoms, whereas there are times when there are no symptoms at all.
Body Dysmorphia and Eating Disorders
As you may have realized it already, individuals, especially males, suffering from eating disorders tend to also suffer from Body Dysmorphia. Either the disorder or the dysmorphia can be triggers for each other. Commonly though, eating disorders are the cause of dysmorphia in males, which has accentuated to soaring prevalence since the rise of social media.
Men are expected to be tall and heavily muscled, which are the type of aspirations and perfections that are highly unattainable. Men who are able to attain this image can only do so when they spend a lot of money (e.g. gym equipment, supplements, nutritionists, etc.) and tend to be celebrities whose body image is a commodity. Even when they do attain this image, they can have difficulty maintaining it due to age-related complications, which adds to their dysmorphia.
That dysmorphia frequently leads to eating disorders, even in celebrities. They go to extreme lengths to acquire and maintain an almost impossible body image and end up developing these disorders as a result. Male celebrities and bodybuilders frequently take part in excessive diet plans in their pursuit of developing bigger muscles. Excessive diets like Intermittent Fasting or Paleo are significant causes of eating disorders.
Learn More: Eating Disorders in Children: What You Need to Know
How Can We Treat Eating Disorders in Men?
Men with eating disorders tend to avoid treatment and reporting due to the stigma attached to the disorders because of perceived gender-based classification and to the idea of men seeking therapy. The times may be changing but it takes a whole village to change the way we think and men think negatively. Men who do take psychotherapy, especially the ones who are under therapy for eating disorders, do indeed experience a positive change in their lifestyle and feel healed.
Concluding Words
Because the mortality rate of men suffering from these disorders is as high as for women, treatment should be sought from a renowned mental health expert before signs of an eating disorder become more evident. The Inland Empire Behavioural Group has a team of experts who are highly capable of working towards healing people with mental issues like anxiety, and even addiction. In addition to that, they can also provide psychiatric medication management.
