Eating Disorders do Not Discriminate.
When one thinks of societal pressure to look a certain way, one typically thinks of a teenage girl. While it is true that the majority of teen girls do struggle with self esteem and eating problems, boys (of all ages) are also effected. In the pie charts to the right, the percentages are only shown for women. These percentages may seem shocking but the percentage of boys affected by eating disorders and low self esteem may shock you even more because of the scarcity of their publication. Many men go untreated for their eating disorders due to the public stigma that only rich white teenage girls are afflicted. This is easily disproved.However, it is also true that: nearly 10% of all people with eating disorders are male.
Nearly 1 million men are affected by eating disorders today.
More number statistics can be found here.
***Eating Disorders can and do develop in males***
With that being said, eating disorders may appear differently in males than in females, however it is very important to be aware of signs and symptoms of disorders in both sexes. Read here for more information on recognizing and understanding symptoms of a male victim of these life-threatening diseases.
If you suspect a friend or family member (male or female) may be struggling with eating please look at these sites for advice on how to talk to them and help them overcome their disease:
http://www.edtreatmentcenters.com/
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/friend_eating_disorder.html
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/family-and-friends.php
Carolyn-
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this! It is very important to shed some light on this topic. It is crucial that we see that men do worry about this and can and do develop this disease. The other day, I heard someone say that "men don't worry about how they look". I told them that they were seriously misguided because they DO! We can not just assume that only women have this disease.
I also really appreciate that you used the word "disease". I think is it important for people to realize that this is a disease. Very few people understand that it is not something that someone chooses to deal with. It is very tough to live with but it is not simply a choice. It is pounded into a person's brain and they have to struggle to overcome it. It is, just like any other disease, a challenge. It can be a genetic trait as well.
This link that you attached is very good to help people with understanding eating disorders as a whole: http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/friend_eating_disorder.html . I really encourage everyone to check that out because it really helps to give an overview on a topic that society does not discuss as much as we should. And I totally agree with you that getting someone help is the most important thing you can do.
Thanks again for posting this Carolyn!