Men Have Eating Disorders, Too

Eating disorders have long been regarded mainly as an issue for women and girls. Historically, female patients outnumbered males by about 10 to 1. But there’s a problem with that oft-repeated statistic: Males with eating disorders are less likely than females to seek help and get diagnosed. Recent studies looking at eating disorders in the general population have found that the ratio of females to males may actually be closer to 3 to 1.

The realization that male eating disorders are more common than once believed has sparked a raft of research. Overall, men and women with eating disorders are more alike than not, and many studies have highlighted traits in common. For example, one study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders showed that college men with disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, like their female counterparts, tended to have trouble coping with unpleasant emotions. In both sexes, apparently, difficult emotions may be channeled into extreme eating behaviors.

Yet there also seem to be crucial gender differences. Below are some emerging themes.

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Bulking Up, Not Slimming Down

Anorexia is characterized by the relentless pursuit of thinness and an intense fear of gaining weight—preoccupations that lead to severely disturbed eating behavior. People with anorexia may see themselves as “fat” even when they appear emaciated and malnourished to everyone else.

Bulimia is characterized by out-of-control eating binges, followed by compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse. Although people with bulimia may be normal weight, they’re often terrified of gaining weight or obsessed with shedding pounds.

The catch is that these definitions were originally based on female patients. Men and boys may have body images that are just as distorted and be caught up in eating patterns that are just as disturbed. But instead of obsessing over slimming down, some become overly preoccupied with bulking up.

Muscle dysmorphia is the medical name for an excessive concern with becoming more muscular. In males, muscle dysmorphia, overexercising, and eating disorders frequently go hand in hand.

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Binging on Pizza, Not Ice Cream

Binge eating disorder involves gorging on a large amount of food in a relatively short amount of time, and feeling guilty, ashamed, or disgusted about it. While both men and women binge, their food of choice may differ. In one study of college students published in Eating Behaviors, men were more likely to single out pizza as a binge food, and women were more likely to mention sweets.

In the same study, when students were asked to give their personal definition of an eating binge, women were more apt to mention losing control. In contrast, men tended to focus on the quantity of food eaten and the stomachache afterward.

This may be more than just a semantic difference. Past research has shown that males go on eating jags about as often as females, but they’re less likely to be diagnosed with full-fledged binge eating disorder. That may be partly because current diagnostic criteria emphasize a loss of control.

Whatever form they take, eating disorders can lead to great distress, serious problems in daily life, and potentially severe health consequences. The more that’s learned about how these disorders affect males, the greater the odds that men and boys will get appropriate help when they need it.

For more on eating disorders, visit the Eating Disorders Learning Center.

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