It’s difficult to find areas in the medical field where boys and men face disadvantages, but the prevention, detection, and treatment of eating disorders is one of them. The terms in which mental health professionals have defined and researched eating disorders have revolved around the experiences of young (and mostly white) girls and women. Many eating disorder treatment centers refuse to admit male patients on the grounds that doing so provides a more comfortable atmosphere for their female residents. As a result of these practices, most men indicate discomfort and alienation when pursuing professional help for eating disorders or body image concerns.
Between one-fourth and one-third of people with eating disorders are male, yet the proportion of males presenting to clinics for treatment is only one in 11. And we can’t chalk this discrepancy up to toxic masculinity’s embargo on help-seeking. Even in females, eating disorders are the second-most overlooked diagnosis (behind drug addiction). Many clinicians simply fail to notice the signs in males, in part due to bias and in part due to the ways in which eating disorders look different in boys and men. The prevalence of eating disorders in males is increasing, since many of the pressures of advertising and social media that for decades targeted women now target everyone. Insecurity, after all, is great for business.
How They Look Different
Like fashion trends, “idealized” body types change with time. Currently, women experience pressure to appear thin, to take up as little space as possible. The picture is slightly more complicated for men. Many men and boys experience pressure to appear lean, tall, and muscular. They feel twin fears of looking either soft or scrawny, leading to a host of harmful compensatory behaviors: caloric restriction, binge eating to bulk, and compulsive exercise. Like women, men are prone to developing distorted body image, but theirs tends to focus on a lack of musculature. Researchers have called this type of distortion in self-image muscle dysmorphia. Men, like women, encounter fatphobia–bullying and stigma due to living in larger bodies. Perhaps most concerning, because eating disorders often go undiagnosed in men until they are older, they are at elevated risk of death post-diagnosis. The lack of co-ed or male-dedicated treatment facilities likely contributes to this trend.
Many males with eating disorders are athletes and/or queer, but these are far from the only populations at risk. Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder all involve genetic risk factors, which affect men too. Trauma, unstable living situations, anxiety, OCD, and mood problems can all contribute to the development and maintenance of eating disorders. The fact is, much of what underlies eating disorders for women can underlie them for men, even if the expression of the disorders looks different across genders. No group of people is immune to eating disorders, and there should be no shame in those who fall into one of the many negative food and body image traps society sets.
How Treatment Can Help
While it is beyond frustrating to feel mischaracterized and misunderstood by allied healthcare providers, getting professional help for eating and body image concerns remains the most reliable way to overcome them. Even though less than 1% of the research done on eating disorders has been with males, leaving lots for the field to learn, current evidence suggests most men respond to treatment as positively as women.
It is important not only to find help from professionals with eating disorder expertise but who are aware of males’ unique needs in recovery. Your therapists, dieticians, and physicians will help you establish a freer, more flexible relationship with food and your body. They will help identify and mitigate medical risks. Beyond that, they will aim to do so with the utmost respect for your experience and individuality, without stigmatizing or overlooking your distress.
Full Color Psychology offers specialized services in eating disorders and related concerns. Drs. Corinne Hannan and Eric Ghelfi can provide you with well-informed care and help you navigate the process of self-advocacy in the medical community. It is never too late to reach out, and as with most challenges, the sooner, the better.
