Male Anorexia

People tend to associate eating disorders primarily with women, but there are cases of male anorexia, too. Male anorexia often shares the same characteristics as its female counterpart, including low self-esteem and preoccupation with weight. People with male anorexia say that more education is needed to make both the public and the medical profession aware of this growing problem so that men don't feel ashamed to seek help.

 

Male Anorexia: An Overview

Though many people associate anorexia with women, anorexia also occurs in males. An estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia are male. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that male anorexia rates are increasing.
 

Characteristics Associated With Male Anorexia

Male anorexia shares the same characteristics as its female counterpart, including low self-esteem, the need to be accepted, an inability to cope with emotional pressures, and family and relationship issues.
 
Male anorexia is most commonly seen in specific subgroups. For instance, males who wrestle show a disproportionate increase in anorexia -- rates 7 to 10 times higher than normal. Additionally, homosexual males have an increased rate of anorexia.
 

Prognosis With Male Anorexia

Male anorexia most often surfaces during the teen years, but in rare cases, men as old as 60 and boys as young as 8 can be afflicted. In both sexes, male anorexia can lead to lifelong medical and psychological complications. An estimated 6 percent of male eating disorder cases result in death.
 
Most people find it difficult to halt the behavior without professional assistance. Although some men ultimately seek help, many continue untreated with the condition, often for years, and sometimes for a decade or more.
 
(Male Anorexia Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD