International Men's Health Week: Eating Disorders In Males
For International Men’s Health Week, Fill The Gap Counsellor Mark Hill highlights a topic that is often left out of the conversation: eating disorders in male.
When it comes to eating disorders, men are often left out of the conversation. But did you know that one in three people living with an eating disorder in Australia are male?
In fact, males account for 20% of those with Anorexia Nervosa, 30% with Bulimia Nervosa, 43% with Binge Eating Disorder, over half with Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) and 67% of people with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Sadly, the true numbers may be even higher, as many males go undiagnosed due to stigma and misunderstanding.
It’s time to break the silence
Eating disorders are far more common than most people realise – affecting around one million Australians each year. Up to 30% of Australian teenagers also report engaging in disordered eating behaviours every year.
Males are four times more likely to go undiagnosed. Males in strength-focused sports, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, or identifying as LGBTQIA+ are at even greater risk.
It’s important to recognise the signs of eating disorders in males:
Psychological:
- Mood changes
- Perfectionism
- Pre-occupation and rigid thinking around food, exercise, muscle gain and body shape/weight
Physical:
- Rapid weight changes
- Changes in physical appearance
- Unexplained fatigue
- Fainting
Behavioural:
- Dieting, fasting, counting calories, cutting out food groups
- Using supplements, steroids or laxatives
- Excessive/compulsive exercise
Stereotypes about eating disorders being “female illnesses”, together with pressure to appear tough or self-reliant, can lead to shame, stigma, and make it harder for men to be recognised. Even friends, family, and health professionals may miss the signs, especially since men’s eating disorder symptoms can look different – they might involve excessive exercise, focus on gaining muscle, or misuse of supplements.
As a result, males are often diagnosed later, experience longer durations of untreated illness and face more obstacles in getting help. We must change this by talking openly, challenging harmful stereotypes and gender norms, and making sure everyone knows that eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of gender.
If you are caring for a loved one who you suspect may be developing an eating disorder, or if something just doesn’t seem right, please know that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
Nourish, Nurture, Notice is Australia’s first-ever online prevention program specifically for parents and is focused on early identification of disordered eating and the prevention of eating disorders in young people.
Designed for parents and carers of school-aged children and adolescents, the program provides vital education to enable recognition of, and response to, the early signs of disordered eating to prevent the development of an eating disorder.
EDFA’s Fill The Gap counselling service offer free, one-on-one online counselling to support carers in navigating the challenges of caring for a loved one with an eating disorder or disordered eating concerns.
Please contact Administrative Assistant Bailey Wightman on 03 9125 5670 or email bailey.wightman@edfa.org.au if you need support accessing the service.
About Eating Disorders Families Australia
Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) is the only national organisation solely for carers and families of those with an eating disorder. EDFA provides support, EDucation, advocacy, and FREE online counselling services and annual membership. EDFA has a private Facebook forum, providing a safe place for eating disorder carers and family members to share experiences, seek advice and assistance, and find hope.