Do Men Have Eating Disorders?

Our culture is all about having a love/hate relationship with our bodies. It's true. I was reading the "news"(some of which is basically fluff) on my phone the other day. One article had a picture of a scantily clad celebrity and the headline read that she was "crushing it with those abs." The article next to it was related to studies pointing to eating disorders being highlighted in adolescent girls due to social media usage. We are inundated with mixed messages celebrating that "perfect" look and then turn to the mirror viewing what we perceive as the complete opposite. Is it all due to social media usage? And, are eating disorders specific to only women? Let's take a look at these issues.

We tend to associate the person with an eating disorder as a teenage girl who is underweight and socially awkward. At least that's what every movie or television episode about eating disorders focuses on. However, of the over 70 million people who have been identified as living with an eating disorder, 1 in 10 who are seeking treatment identify as male (Walen, 2016). That's seeking treatment, which does not include those who are either in denial of their disordered eating or are not presently in counseling for it.

What is an Eating Disorder?

That is a loaded question. As a culture, we view eating disorders as either people who "don't eat" or those who "binge and purge." Eating disorders are "behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated with distressing thoughts and" feelings (American Psychiatric Association, 2025). There are various diagnoses such as binging and purging (bulimia nervosa), anorexia nervosa, avoidant/restrictive food intake (ARFID), binge eating disorder (BED), Pica, and rumination disorder.

What Type of Eating Disorders are Seen in Men?

Unfortunately, men have historically not been included in empirical studies where eating disorders are concerned. According to Murray et al. (2016), they make up less than 1% of such research. Like those who identify as female, males experience the above eating disorders but often it goes unlooked because of the stigma and the stereotype that it only happens to females.

Since they tend to be left out of research, clinicians are unfamiliar with diagnosing them and what treatment to use. It is important to note that our society focuses on "thinness" but men focus on achieving a muscular body. Therefore, appearing "in shape." Behind the scenes, the male is hyper-focused on maladaptive eating behaviors, body control, and compulsive weight lifting/exercise. Some will even go so far as to use synthetic substances (ex. anabolic steroids). And because we glorify sports and pushing oneself to be the best athlete, men will continue to be overlooked for treatment of eating disorders.

What Treatment is Best for Men?

Just as with those identifying as girls, we need to focus on the subtlety involved with diagnosing an eating disorder in men.

-Awareness of body image concerns

-Educating the public as well as healthcare workers

-Looking for signs of fear of weight gain

-Preoccupation of body image/exercise

How can we treat a man with an eating disorder?

-Provide support in a non-judgmental environment; it is NOT isolated to girls/women

-Listen...it is so underrated and yet we continue to focus on "fixing" an issue

-Mindfulness and CBT are certainly helpful for clients

Removing the stigma for men where eating disorders are concerned will help pave a way for those who are struggling alone and grappling with these disorders. Providing a non-judgmental ear for listening and doing "the work" necessary will help a person who is in need of recovering from an eating disorder.