How common are eating disorders among men?
It is typically stated that one in 10 folks with eating disorders are men. But, recent figures from the NHS Data Centre urged the important figure is actually a lot of higher, with 700,000 men being registered as having some type of disorder to do with their weight and eating, 1 / 4 of the total range of individuals affected.
While it's troublesome to be precise in terms of numbers, it's clear that there are a number of men who hide their eating disorder and do not seek help. This can be because many men feel eating disorders are a 'feminine' condition and this shame is combined with the guilt and secrecy common to all or any disorders of this nature. In men, they usually develop between the age of 14 and twenty five, but it's a condition that can occur at any age.
How do they develop in men?
Eating disorders in men have several of the same causes as eating disorders in women. There can certainly be a variety of different causes and these might include childhood trauma, family difficulties, stressful life events, low self esteem, temperament factors and genetic predisposition. The eating disorder becomes a way of expressing troublesome feelings which the individual cannot cope with.
Eating disorders in men will be expressed in a completely different way to eating disorders in ladies - men and boys may be more preoccupied with having a muscular physique than losing weight. Male disorders are typically closely linked with exercise and can initially appear to be healthy, masking the underlying problem. For example, sudden weight loss might appear the results of a training programme for a marathon or triathlon. Equally, there is also proof that men face similar pressures to girls in terms of conforming to an unrealistic body form, projected by celebrities, sportsmen and models. Studies have shown increasing numbers of men feel dissatisfied with their own bodies and this dissatisfaction and anxiety will develop at young age.
Risk factors
Some of the same risk factors known to use to women appear to also apply to men and there are others that are more specific to men. In common with women, the foremost necessary factor is unresolved distress and trauma, which is expressed in an eating disorder. But some groups seem to be at a greater risk:
o Men who have been overweight, bullied or teased concerning their weight
o Collaborating in an exceedingly sport that demands a particular body form, for example athletes and jockeys are at a higher risk
o A study dole out by the national charity Beat found twenty per cent of men with eating disorders are gay, making up twice the proportion of gay men within the population as a whole.
o Men working in an exceedingly job or profession in which an idealised body image is terribly dominant. Male models, actors, and general entertainers seem to be at higher risk than the overall population.
The treatment of men with eating disorders
Many eating disorders will be effectively treated without the requirement for admission to hospital or a specialist unit. Folks with bulimia normally respond well to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and there is a programme of CBT for individuals with eating disorders which is terribly well established and successful. Individuals with anorexia and those with advanced bulimia need to be assessed and helped in a very specialist treatment unit. Treatment can involve a programme of therapy, normally with a important emphasis on family therapy if the patient is an adolescent and psychotherapy for adults, combined with nutritional support.
Author Resource:-
Dorish Hill has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Eating Disorders, you can also check out his latest website about:
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.healthandwealth4you.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
