Up to ten per cent of people with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia are male, and the cause is unknown. Researchers have suggested that they stem from the pressures of a weight-conscious western society, family or relationship problems, and physical and neurological changes in susceptible people. It seems likely that several factors are at work.
Identifying symptoms
One of the main problems in eating disorders is 'body image disturbance' or dysmorphia. The illnesses cause a person to have a very inaccurate perception of their own shape and body weight.
Asked to stand beside a door, for example, a man with anorexia might think he 'blocks out' the whole doorway because he is so overweight; looking at his thin forearm and bony hand, he might think he is covered in unsightly fat.
Research has suggested that male bodybuilders might have similar kinds of body image disturbance to that experienced by people with anorexia.
To confirm the diagnosis, the patient must, mistakenly, think they're too heavy, and be dieting to lose weight. People with anorexia usually have a body mass index of less than 17.5.
Other ways of trying to lose weight include:
- excessive exercise
- extreme 'fat-free' diets
- making yourself sick after meals
- purging with laxative and diuretic drugs
Some people with diabetes or thyroid problems manipulate their medication to promote weight loss.
Although anorexia means 'loss of appetite', people with anorexia are often very hungry - and may have a strong interest in watching others eat, or in helping to prepare their food.
Bulimia shares the body image disturbance of anorexia, but people with this condition are more likely to be of normal weight, and binge eating and purging is more of a problem than dieting.
Living with an eating disorder
The consequences are serious. Not only is it difficult to maintain a normal social life, but the illness often causes intense family upset, and it's not easy to remain fit and alert at work.
The body's systems have to work hard to adjust to the changed metabolism caused by abnormal diet, and dangerous changes can occur - particularly when people are making themselves vomit. |
