Understanding Eating Disorders in Men and Boys

Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders that negatively affect the way a person thinks about food, sees their body size and shape, and how they act on a day-to-day basis. Preoccupation with body image, calories and food intake can become all-consuming – this can be the case for men and boys, especially when there is little support available. In fact, up to 25% of people with eating disorders are male. Let’s explore the stigma around males with eating disorders, reasons why they develop, types of eating disorders in males, and more in our latest blog.

Eating Disorder Stigma in Men and Boys

It’s important to recognize the stigma around eating disorders in men and boys. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have been associated for decades with girls and women. In fact, females are up to five times as likely to be diagnosed with eating disorders as males. That’s why eating disorders in men and boys can be overlooked by friends, family and even medical professionals.

Males may not recognize the symptoms in themselves, believing eating disorders to be a “female thing,” as this has been ingrained in society. They may not know their symptoms are problematic, especially if they are athletes and their teammates are doing the same things that can result in an eating disorder. Consequently, they don’t realize they are in danger.

Reasons Men and Boys Develop Eating Disorders

Men and boys may develop eating disorders and disordered eating habits out of feelings of obligation to maintain a muscular, slim, bulky or chiseled body. There are many societal pressures on males to avoid being “weak and too skinny” or having a “dad bod.” The emphasis is to be “big and strong.” These are unhealthy messages to send and receive. Jokes about body weight, tone, shape and size are prevalent and hurtful. As a result, males begin to associate their attractiveness and self-worth with their outward appearance.

Adolescent boys are inundated with social media images and movies idealizing muscular male bodies, posing them as more attractive to potential mates. This starts to make them think they should look that way, too. Just look at many box office superhero movies. These characters are larger than life and admired for their strength, but some actors have reported struggling with the food and exercise routines to get into these kinds of graphic novel roles.

Zac Efron has been very vocal about his depression, insomnia and eating disorder development due to extreme exercise, diuretic misuse and restrictive diet for Baywatch. He has called the body type “dangerous and unattainable.” This is an example of when a person speaks out about the damage this stereotype does, the more awareness can be raised for the need to help men and boys heal.

Men involved in sports, entertainment or social media influencer careers may be under pressure to maintain a specific muscular or chiseled physique. Being in the public eye means being under constant scrutiny, which can wear on anyone regardless of gender. Athletes may have to meet weight class requirements that restrict them to a certain diet, exercise and supplement routine. In fact, 77% of male athletes in weight-dependent sports reported using compensatory measures.

If they are living in smaller bodies, men and adolescent boys may feel inferior and look for ways to “bulk up” using creatine, protein powders and/or steroids. In fact, 6-7% of adolescent boys are reported to use steroids. Not only that, but up to 60% of boys report changing their diets to achieve a more muscular body, which puts them on the road to disordered eating habits that may turn into serious eating disorders. They may even eat lots of food at once, past the point of fullness, in an attempt to gain weight and/or to fill an emotional void. When done repeatedly, this is known as binge eating disorder (BED).

Common Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating Habits in Men and Boys

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is common in adolescent males and can continue into adulthood if left untreated. BDD is characterized by repeatedly performing body checks in the mirror scrutinizing their appearance. They may agonize over their skin’s texture, body shape and size. Preoccupation with body checking can take hours out of each day and usually results in actions taken to try to remedy the perceived flaws. BDD can result in hospitalization and attempted suicide.

Muscle dysmorphia (also known as bigorexia) is a type of BDD where males perceive their bodies as “too thin,” believing they need to put on more muscle, when in reality they are already quite muscular. As a result, they spend many hours at the gym daily lifting weights and controlling their protein intake to build muscle. They may even inject appearance and performance enhancing (anabolic) steroids, which are illegal and dangerous when used for this purpose.

Anorexia and bulimia are common among certain male demographics, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. Gay, nonbinary, bisexual and transgender men face added stress and pressure from society. They may want to take control and develop disordered eating habits of fasting, overexercising, vomiting, or using diuretics and laxatives as a coping mechanism in order to achieve and maintain a certain aesthetic.

Orthorexia nervosa, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED) are common among boys and can continue into adulthood when left untreated. These disorders are characterized by avoidance of entire food groups or specific foods based on taste, color, texture, temperature, ingredients or other identifying factors either out of fear, disdain or to maintain a specific body shape or size.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders in Men and Boys

Eating disorders affect men and boys more than we know. They may have low self-esteem and self-isolate as a result of poor body image. They also struggle to maintain friendships and romantic relationships, fearing others will dislike how they look and therefore, dislike them as people.

Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety can develop as a result of poor nutrition and side effects from frequent steroid or illicit drug use. Co-occurring disorders like mood or substance use disorders can perpetuate eating disorder behaviors. In fact, over 70% of people with eating disorders have anxiety and mood disorders.

Unfortunately, men and boys are often underdiagnosed for mental health and eating disorders because they don’t seek treatment as often as women and girls. Even worse, sometimes when they do seek help, they are met with resistance and dismissal from misinformed medical professionals. In fact, females are 1.5 times more likely to be treated for eating disorders.

It is very important that others are engaged in learning how to identify eating disorder symptoms and address concerns as soon as possible. Doctors, pediatricians, coaches, teachers, family and neighbors can all benefit from education. Below you will find the main signs and symptoms of eating disorders in men and boys.

Sudden or extreme weight loss or gain
Frequent, intense exercise patterns
Avoiding mealtimes with family and friends at home and in public
Eating very little, refusing to eat certain foods or overeating
Preoccupation with and anxiety around calories, food intake, body shape and size
A distorted self-view when looking in the mirror and/or at pictures
Expressing distaste for how their body looks by pointing out perceived flaws
Spending a long time in the bathroom after meals vomiting, possibly with the water running to disguise the sound
Laxative, diuretic, steroid, protein powder, supplement or creatine misuse
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability or unusual aggression

Treatment for Males with Eating Disorders

If you, your child or a loved one are struggling with symptoms of an eating disorder, please reach out to us at Center for Discovery for guidance. Men and boys are just as likely as women and girls to recover from eating disorders, and it’s just as necessary they receive the treatment they need and deserve to live a happier, more well-rounded life. Our levels of care are tailored to each patient’s needs and our understanding staff work to support recovery without judgment.