Boys' Silent Battle with Eating Disorders

As a young woman, I’m made very aware of the social pressures that women face in terms of body image. Like most, I’ve kept an eye on my girlfriends and watched out for signs, such as restlessness and refusal to eat, that all hint at a potentially dangerous eating habit. However, last week, as I was scrolling through Instagram, I guiltily wondered why I hadn’t been as concerned with how my male friends perceive themselves.

The stereotypes surrounding the disorder creates many misconceptions. One of these is that the illness only affects young girls and that older women aren’t at risk. This, unfortunately, isn’t true, as 13 percent of women over 50 live with an eating disorder as of 2016. Anorexia isn’t only a disorder to do with food, but a mental illness as well. It can be difficult to overcome and requires therapy, not just a food plan. Amongst all of these harmful misconceptions is the biggest one of them all—that it doesn't affect boys.

Anorexia is an issue that is frequently not taken seriously. It is often wrongly perceived as seeking attention and as an overreaction. These misconceptions seem to only get worse when the term “anorexia” is attached to boys, as it is commonly seen as a weakness that can be simply fixed by “manning up."

The truth is that boys and young men are in danger of developing anorexia as they grow up surrounded by social media, discovering a new, internet-based world of people to physically compare themselves to. Even away from social media, we tell boys from a young age that they need to be strong and fit. Sadly, this message will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and some even sign up to a gym membership in Year 9 when they are just 13 years old. The gym will only encourage young boys to compare themselves to others, causing many to turn to dangerous methods such as excessive exercise and dramatically decreasing their food intake so that they feel as though they are at a socially accepted weight or build. In a poll of adolescents, cited by the National Eating Disorders Association, 33% of males used some of these unhealthy behaviors to control weight.

As our boys grow older and leave home, it's common that the need to look like how society wants them to becomes an obsession. The eating disorder charity Hope reported that in a university survey of males, 1 out of every 3 positive screenings for eating disorders involved males. And this problem is only getting worse with the NHS reporting that last year, eating disorders in men rose by 70%. Surely this means that it's time for us to take anorexia in men seriously?

Unfortunately, the severity of the issue has no effect on how many boys and men come forward about their condition. It is estimated in a recent 2015 report from Department of Health that 725,000 people are suffering from eating disorders and may not be seeking help. This is a disaster because without the help boys need to get better, they’ll only get worse. In another report by The Royal College of Practitioners, they saw that there was a 66% rise in hospital admissions of males, showing that an eating disorder had become so bad that medical attention was required immediately. This situation could be avoided if boys were able to talk about their battle with the disorder so they could get the help they need earlier. To start this process, we need more conversations in schools about eating disorders which aren’t solely directed at girls.

Due to the stigma surrounding this issue, it is the mental health charities, schools, gyms, parents and friends that must reach out to the men and boys we believe are in danger because the likelihood of them asking for help is very slim whilst this stigma is still in place. Those with an eating disorder could wait up to 182 days for treatment, so it really is up to us, the people around them, to support them. Another problem is that while women frequently report a sense of being out of control during a binge eating episode, men do not. This means that men may not even realise their eating habits are unhealthy, so they wouldn't consider seeking help as they don’t realise there’s a problem. To solve this, we need to inform men and boys about exactly what eating disorders are and how they manifest. This will ensure that we’re all made aware of potentially dangerous behavior in terms of diet and exercise.

It is clear to see that this is a pressing issue that needs to be brought to everyone's attention. The stigma surrounding eating disorders in men needs to be lifted so that life-saving conversations can be had to help those who need support before it is too late.

If you are concerned about someone or need help yourself, please contact BEAT on their helpline 0808 801 0677.