The presence of Anorexia Nervosa in males was first noted by Sir William Gull in 1874. Since then, we have continued to learn and now know more about Eating Disorders (ED) in men than ever before. Despite this growth in our understanding, there are still many myths that surround male ED within our community.
Myth #1: Eating Disorders are exceedingly rare in males
We often tend to think that males cannot develop eating disorders, perhaps because they cannot fulfil the amenorrhea criterion or because their dietary restriction is not as serious. However, in reality 25% of all Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa cases are male, with an equal gender distribution for Binge-Eating Disorder. It is also important to note, that contrary to popular belief, selective eating (i.e. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is more prevalent in boys compared to young girls. In addition, disordered eating practices are increasing more rapidly in males than they are in females. With this in mind, rather than ruling out ED in males, perhaps we should instead be asking whether there is something that occurs during male adolescence that protects males from developing ED – if so, what is it?
Myth #2: Homosexuality in males is a risk factor for the development of eating disorders
It is a common belief that ED within the male population is more prevalent in those who are homosexual. Many have come to believe this as gender construction has appeared to be more implicated in ED in males than previously thought. However, recent research and its evidence have indicated that sexual preference is not a significant predictor of ED within males.
Myth #3: Eating disorders present similarly in males and females
When we learn about a new disorder or illness, it is common for us to generalize the symptoms across genders, and ED are no exception. We often compare symptom presentations of ED in males, assuming that the measures of psychopathology, diagnostic criteria and treatment models developed for females can be applied to males. However, this is not the case for ED as males often report extreme concerns surrounding muscularity and frequently endorse dangerous methods to achieve this ideal, whereas in contrast the ideal body type for females with ED is thinness. Compared to the low Body Mass Index commonly seen in females with ED, males with ED tend to have a higher BMI, and are subsequently harder to diagnose. As a result, males often tend to seek treatment later, which can result in an increased resistance to treatment, increased medical risk and a more entrenched ED.
It is important to recognize that while ED are less prevalent overall in the male community compared to females, they still exist. These three myths are believed by many, and therefore it is crucial that we rectify them, and begin to understand that males too can develop ED, that sexual preference is not a risk factor for ED, and that ED symptoms present differently for males and females and are not always comparable.
This article has been inspired by & adapted from the Webinar presented by Dr Stuart Murray from the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders on the 29th of July, 2015.
