More men with eating disorders than previously thought

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 13 2011

UK National Health Service (NHS) figures showing a 66 percent rise in hospital admissions for men with eating disorders in England over the last 10 years are just the “tip of the iceberg,” a UK charity said Wednesday.

Eating disorders charity Beat said more than a million people are affected by eating disorders in Britain and up to 20 percent of those are male. An exact figure is difficult to ascertain due to the reluctance of men to seek treatment for an eating disorder and a failure to diagnose the illnesses in males, Beat said. They continued, “the 66 percent increase in hospitalization of men in England with eating disorders is the tip of the iceberg. There are many others who find it difficult to acknowledge that they have the illness or to seek help …That, coupled with the fact that not all GPs (General Practitioners) recognize the symptoms in males shows that there are still many people unable to access the treatment they so desperately need.”

It refutes the common notion that illnesses like anorexia and bulimia only affect women. Cultural pressure to have the ideal body is among the many factors that can trigger eating disorders - and UK charities are keen to stress that this body dissatisfaction is not confined to women. Beat said, “Exercise is a major factor with eating disorders in men who can become obsessed with exercising every day. Males are under similar pressures to women nowadays to achieve that 'perfect shape'.”

Sam Thomas, founder and project leader of ‘Men Get Eating Disorders Too’, a UK charity is not surprised with these statements. Thomas said, “Men are subject to all kinds of different pressures. This rise could indicate an increased awareness of eating disorders among men, but it could also signal a genuine rise in the illnesses in males due to increasing pressure on men to look good, pressure in the workplace, and even financial worries. There are certainly many different factors involved and I think it's a combination of all of them.”

Bulimia affects three times as many people as anorexia, but it can be more difficult to spot as the sufferer may not lose weight in the same way.