Male Anorexia

It may come as a surprise to many, but the fact is that 5% of the total anorexics in America are men. It is mistakenly believed that this disorder is limited only to females, since the stereotypical male is skinny, but well built and powerful. In fact, the number of men who are being diagnosed with anorexia is increasing at an alarming rate.

Males with anorexia nervosa have certain things in common including not liking the way their body looks, excessive body fat, over exercising, confusion about their sexual orientation, social inaptness, obsessive compulsive disorder, problems with conduct and low self-esteem. Unlike women, men are less likely to seek help for anorexia. It also seems that many men who are in athletic careers like horseracing and running are overly concerned about their body weight for obvious reasons. As a matter of fact, a study done by D. Blake Woodside, MD of the University of Toronto shows that men have not identified themselves as affected by anorexia or seek treatment for it. Dr. Woodside?s study showed that twice as many women as men had eating disorders, but there were more men affected than expected, suggesting that the amount of men suffering from the disease may be higher than the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders currently estimates.

Men and women usually share the same symptoms when it comes to Anorexia Nervosa. They are usually anxious, depressed, have phobias and panic disorders and rely heavily on drugs and alcohol. 'They are basically very unhappy with their lives,' according to Woodside.

Another interesting fact that has been noted in similar reports is that gay men seem to account for a large percentage of men who suffer from anorexia. Dr Woodside feels that this may be because gay men may be more likely to seek help for the problem than their heterosexual counterparts.