Male eating disorders

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 39, Issue 1

A TV programme on Manorexia highlighted the subject of male eating disorders. It is a subject that is not raised often enough, say some experts. After all it is not unusual to read about women who have eating problems, but we seldom hear about how disorders such as anorexia and bulimia affect men.

Dr Peter Rowan, consultant psychiatrist at Cygnet Hospital Ealing’s Eating Disorders Unit explains:

Eating disorders are still rare among men. The incidence in males over the age of puberty who suffer with anorexia, for instance, is around 10 percent or so.But the longer we study all eating disorders, the more we discover variations of disorder that don’t quite fit the classical diagnoses For instance,among women there are not only bulimics but there are also those who suffer with binge eating disorder, and, of course EDNOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified).

According to Dr Rowan, there are also many men who have an unhealthy relationship with food who do not fit the diagnostic criteria, which are, of course, designed for women. For instance some men are obsessed with fitness, but not necessarily because they are trying to change their body shape. Some may, for example, become addicted to exercise in an attempt to live longer and avoid coronary heart disease:

As a result, these men avoid certain types of food for instance, fats and some may develop a very unhealthy relationship to food and eat restrictively. And by doing so, they maintain a low weight,” explains Dr Rowan. “It’s likely that there are more men than we recognise who have some form of abnormality of eating and attitude to food and weight though most are probably not truly anorexic or bulimic.However, it’s not clear whether or not these men should be described as ill, whether they have an eating disorder and indeed whether we should attempt to do anything about them unless they seek help. Many don’t seek help and although perhaps they should, they often lead pretty normal lives and don’t want to change.On the other hand, those who do seek help are likely to have more severe symptoms and are more likely to fulfil the diagnostic criteria of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

For men or women who are worried about an eating problem help is available at the Eating Disorders Unit at Cygnet Hospital Ealing. For more information about Cygnet Health Care log onto: www.cygnethealth.co.uk