Eating Disorders Increasing Among Young Heterosexual Men

A crisis in masculinity is leading increasing numbers of young men to develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This was the message from Dr. John Morgan, of the Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders, held last June in Leeds, UK. Dr. Morgan told physicians at the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists that growing numbers of young men are increasingly dissatisfied with their bodies. Because of several factors, many men are less likely to recognize that they have an eating disorder, more likely to be misdiagnosed with other mental health problems such as depression or schizophrenia, less likely to receive treatment, and less likely to be referred to

a specialty eating disorders clinic. The system also puts up barriers, Dr. Morgan said. For example, once men overcome their reluctance to seek treatment, their general practitioner may tell them that men just don’t get eating disorders. In addition, men may also feel stigmatized because they may be the only male in the clinic being treated for an eating disorder. Dr. Morgan’s small study included 15 men 18 to 24 years of age, with a spectrum of sexual orientations.