The Reality – Men can suffer eating disorders too

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Eating Disorders affect thousands around the world and sadly are on the rise due to numerous factors. The NHS Digital figures had shown an increase of 37% across all age groups at the start of January 2020. With recent events, this percentage could potentially lead to a further increase of people suffering from an eating disorder.  Written By Nicola Wright 

It was reported in 2019 that a quarter of the admissions were children aged 18 and under with the most common age for anorexia between the ages of 13 – 15. With adults it was a variation. 

Recently I had a conversation with a close male friend who is suffering from an eating disorder. He kindly let me detail and share our conversation but wished for his identity to be anonymous. 

We started our conversation catching up on everyday life occurrences but eventually left him to tell me how he was feeling inside himself. He expressed that he had been feeling extremely body conscious to the point where it was making him feel emotional and also affecting his mental health. 

As he was discussing the reasoning and the background of why he felt this way, it was clear that this was something that has been developing over many years and was triggered by something that occurred within his teenage years, to be exact. 

As an outsider he always seemed to be having fun, he always seemed to be laughing and had a happy lifestyle throughout his childhood years. He always had friends, always seemed to have partners and as a grown adult he has been very successful, which in return has taken him all over the world. But this disorder within him has never left. 

He expressed he will “excessively exercise and not eat as much as he should because he is trying to make sure that he keeps his body fat under a certain percentage” when in reality I don’t think he has 1% of body fat on his body. 

When I confronted him about this as a friend and someone that cares for his well-being, this is when he confirmed that it wasn’t right and that he is going to seek professional help as he “can’t seem to shake it from his mindset”. 

In today’s society there is sadly a huge stigma around body image that mainly gets heightened with social media platforms. But many people don’t maybe realise that these disorders affect men just as much as they affect woman. And for men they need to be made aware that it is ok to talk and to seek professional help, as some men may still have the “Old School” mentality still within their mind and may need a little more encouragement to open up.

Nicola Wright – Author

Since our first initial conversation where he opened up to me, he has since been seeking professional guidance. Due to recent restrictions across the word he has been conducting sessions virtually and expressed he is “already starting to feel like a newperson and a weight is slowly lifting off his shoulders”. He knows that this is not going to be an over night fix, it’s a gradual process but he is already feeling the positive outcome that will only develop further too eventually disappearing. 

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He said “I know it’s all within my mind. Mine and everybody’s minds are a powerful thing. It’s just learning to override them thoughts and carry on pushing forward”. Thank you to my dear friend for allowing me to share your storey and make people more aware of the reality of men suffering from eating disorders.

What is an eating Disorder?

An eating disorder is when a person’s eating habits and relationship with food becomes extremely challenging and difficult.  

What are the types of Eating Disorders? 

The two most common forms of eating disorders are: 

*Anorexia nervosa (very little or no food intake at all and/or extreme exercise)

*Bulimia nervosa (binge eating with excessive vomiting after any food intake)

 What can cause an eating disorder? 

There is no specific answer as to why and how someone can develop an eating disorder. It could be personal, physiological or genetic factors. 

How do you treat an eating disorder? 

Treating an eating disorder can be more challenging then people think, as it is a psychological disorder. Seeking professional therapy and able to address their underlying problems that maybe encouraging the disorder is the most popular and most effective result. Medication like an antidepressant drug can also help with Bulimia nervosa.

 

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