Issues for Men with Eating Disorders

We don't hear as much about men with eating disorders. That's because most don't seek out help. Perhaps there is a stigma attached; eating disorders, a woman’s disease. Truthfully, there aren't as many treatment centers for men. Many of the causes for the eating disorder are the same for men and women. However, men will have more specific issues related to pressures exclusive to the male gender. Please read the article below to learn more about men's eating disorders. I encourage any male to seek out help for their disordered eating and/or poor body image.

The most common element surrounding ALL Eating Disorders, including Eating Disorders in Males, is the inherent presence of a low self esteem.

It is estimated that 8 million people in the United States are suffering from an Eating Disorder, and of that number 10% are men. Personally, I am guessing that the percentage suffering that are men is far higher, but because of the old fashioned idea that this illness strikes only women, few men come forward to find the help they deserve.

Right from its inception, this whole site has always been aimed at addressing Eating Disorders in everyone, but there are some issues that are specific to the male eating disorder community. As with all sufferers there has always been, and still is, an element of shame in being someone with an Eating Disorder ("I'm disgusting", "look at what I do to myself", "people will think I'm crazy", etc.), but for men and the old misconception that they cannot suffer from an Eating Disorder, the shame they face is often worse.

According to Arnold Andersen and the research he did for his book Males with Eating Disorders, while women who develop Eating Disorders feel fat before the onset of their disordered eating behaviors, typically they are near average weight. Men are more typically overweight medically before the development of the disorder. In addition, men who are binge eaters or compulsive overeaters may go undiagnosed more than women because of society's willingness to accept an overeating and/or overweight man more-so than an overeating or overweight woman.

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