It’s ‘Movember’, a month which is focused on men’s physical and mental health. In this blog, we will look more closely at eating disorders and their prevalence in men.
Globally, around one in three people diagnosed with an eating disorder are male, despite the stereotype that they only affect women. The number of men affected in the UK is believed to be around one-in-four.
In fact, eating disorders in men, including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, are on the rise. However, because of cultural stigma, men are less likely to seek help or treatment for an eating disorder.
Eating disorders—including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)—often look the same no matter which gender you are.
But one way in which men may experience eating disorders differently from women is around muscularity. Research has shown that teenage boys and men may be more at risk for muscularity-oriented disordered eating, perhaps driven by muscle-enhancing goals which can be more prominent in men than in women.
This may be partly due to an increased portrayal of lean, muscular bodies with unrealistically low levels of body fat in the media and on social media. Peer pressure and bullying have long been triggers for eating disorders and social media offers 24-hour access to comments, both positive and negative, from people we do and do not know. This instant connection can lead to higher levels of bullying and peer pressure, and impact on a person’s self-image in a negative way.
Research has shown that body image pressure can be one of the strongest predictors of an eating disorder in men. One study found that roughly 90% of teenage boys exercise with the purpose of becoming more muscular or ‘bulking’ up and psychological, genetic, and family influences can also play a role.
The presence of an eating disorder in a man can often be traced to a specific trigger including bullying or criticism over their weight (over or under), being in a sport which requires extreme weight control or comments from a coach/trainer, illness and loss at home, relationship difficulties, pressures from exams or career stress.
Research shows that often men develop an eating disorder by first working out, by going to a gym or running for example. Then, as they strive for ‘perfection’, they may begin to restrict food intake.
As they may appear to simply want to be ‘healthier’ and may initially look stronger, fitter, and leaner, the extent of an eating problem may not be apparent until later. This makes diagnosis and seeking treatment and support far more difficult.
If a person thinks they may have an eating disorder, they should first make an appointment with their GP. Online resources are available too, including the Beat Helpline which can offer support and information.