As you may already know, the misconception surrounding eating disorders is that they only affect women; however, males being diagnosed with an eating disorder are becoming more common in recent years.

“It is now thought that 25% of individuals battling an eating disorder are male ^[2]”.

Due to the stigma surrounding males suffering from eating disorders, many go undiagnosed, therefore this may be an underestimate.

So why? Why do men find it so difficult to ask for help? To tell a friend? To tell a family member they are struggling?

When you think about eating disorders most people automatically think of women and their obsession with losing weight and attaining the perfect body, but what about men? Men can often hide their problems with excessive exercise and gym training which can therefore result in extreme weight loss, as men are less likely to reach out for help in case they are stigmatised as ‘weak’.

The number of individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder has increased by 15% since 2000 ^[1]. For males this could be due to exposure to the forever growing male orientated media which focuses on men’s health and fitness, this is seen heavily on social media with accounts dedicated to fitness showcasing male models with perfectly chiselled muscles and ‘healthy’ diets that focus purely on protein content. This highlights the pressure that is placed on young males to train hard in the gym to achieve the muscular physique which is deemed desirable and attractive in today’s society. This image is easily accessible to young men as gym memberships are more affordable and protein supplements are readily available as they can be picked up from local supermarkets ^[4].

However, similar to eating disorders in young women, the occurrence of an eating disorder in a young man can often be linked back to a specific trigger or event that occurred in their lives such as^[4]: 

• Being bullied at school or college for being overweight
• Playing a sport that requires extreme weight control
• Suffering from a loss at home
• Exam stress/pressure
• Change in career

But remember, an eating disorder is when you obtain an unhealthy relationship with food, which doesn’t just involve eating too little, it can involve eating too much ^[7].

A recent report discovered the prevalence of Anorexia nervosa among men is 19 per 100,000 and Bulimia nervosa is 29 per 100,000, highlighting bulimia as more common in male sufferers than Anorexia nervosa^[4].

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which the individual binge eats (eats a lot of food in a short amount of time) and then ‘purges’, forces themselves to be sick, abuses laxatives, or exercises excessively to try preventing themselves gaining any weight ^[5]. Often a symptom of Bulimia is having a fear of gaining weight and being very critical of one’s body shape and weight, which explains why it is the most common eating disorder in men as society’s image of the ‘perfect male body’ is lean without an ounce of fat ^[5]. Upon striving for the perfect body, bulimics enter a Binge-purge cycle, which can have simple triggers such as hunger, exam stress or sadness ^[5]

SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR^[5]:

• Fear of putting on weight
• Thinking about food a lot
• Feeling guilty and ashamed, and behaving secretively
• Avoiding social activities that involve food such as going out for a meal
• Feeling like you have no control over your eating
• Sore throat from being sick
• Self-harming
• Eating a lot of food, rapidly
• Going to the bathroom after eating, and often returning looking flushed
• Excessively or obsessively exercising

So how can YOU prevent yourself from developing an eating disorder?

THE SELF HELP GUIDE^[6]:

1. Monitor what you are eating: add a section into your university diary where you can record what you have eaten that day- this will help you notice patterns .
2. Make realistic meal plans: Plan what and when you want to eat that day to help regulate your eating and prevent binging.
3. Learn what triggers your binging or excessive exercising: this could be a social media post, unrealistic body image on TV/film and block these out, as this will prevent the cycle.
4. Identify underlying causes: is there anything going on at home? Is exam stress too much? Are you suffering with health issues? – tackling these may stop an eating disorder developing or progressing so please don’t feel like you can’t ask for help.

If you are recovering from bulimia, it is important to look after your health during this process, here are some help tips to help you during your recovery journey;

HEALTH TIPS^[6]:

• Avoid brushing teeth straight after vomiting- as this can wear down enamel and use a non-acidic mouthwash.
• Make sure you attend your regular dentist appointments.
• Avoid acidic food and drink such as fruit juice, during a binge and after purging.
• Don’t smoke.
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. 

If you feel you, or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please reach out for help by booking an appointment with your GP. there are many organisations which offer help for individuals suffering from an eating disorder and support for their family and friends. 

• Anorexia and Bulimia Care: http://www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk
• Beat: beating eating disorders: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
• National centre for Eating disorders: http://www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk
• You can also contact your University student Wellbeing Centre. 

Written by Jasmine Northen
3rd Year MPharm Student

References:
[1] Anorexia and Bulimia Care, (2019, A). About Eating Disorders. Bristol: Anorexia Bulimia Care. Available from http://www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk/about/about-eating-disorders [accessed 07 October 2019].
[2] Anorexia and Bulimia Care, (2019, B). Statistics. Bristol: Anorexia Bulimia Care. Available from http://www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk/about/statistics [accessed 07 October 2019].
[3] Cartoon image of bodybuilders, (2019). Online: Freepik. Available from https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/cartoon-characters-strong-muscular-bodybuilders_4413022.htm#page=2&query=bodybuilder&position=17 [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].
[4] National Centre for Eating Disorders, (2019). Eating Disorders In Males. Surrey: National Centre for Eating Disorders. Available from https://eating-disorders.org.uk/information/eating-disorders-in-males/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].
[5] National Health Service, (2017). Bulimia. London: National Health Service. Available from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bulimia/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].
[6] National Health Service, (2017). Bulimia – Treatment. London: National Health Service. Available from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bulimia/treatment/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].
[7] National Health Service, (2018). Eating disorders. London: National Health Service. Available from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/eating-disorders/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].