Male Anorexia & Bulimia

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by an excess desire to limit food intake, accompanied by body image disturbance.

Adolescent boys often use AN to solve a developing crisis at home/school or to help deal with a problem in a relationship or gain a sense of control over their lives.

Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by some form of purging or restriction.

Boys with BN are more likely to be preoccupied with 'shape' than 'weight' and are harder to spot. They hide the illness well, maintaining a normal or slightly above normal body weight. Males are less likely than females to resort to the use of laxatives and rather over-exercise as a method to rid themselves of excess calories.

Anorexia and Bulimia tend to begin in the preteen years and worsens in later adolescence.

The anorexic male will spend hours each day jogging, body building and doing press-ups & other exercises to shape the body - they want the flat stomach with the six-pack or abdominal muscles. They are proud of their dieting and the extraordinary control over their bodies and eating habits. Sexual anxiety is more prevalent in male anorexics and up to 80% have grown up in homes that regard sex as taboo - this may often lead to fear of homosexual tendencies.

The bulimic male will manifest severe mood swings and display a low self-esteem. They often live in lonely silence and may rely on substances to relieve their internal pain. They manifest a strong need for control, depression, loneliness and self-hatred. Up to 59% of males with bulimia and 80% of those with the purging type have accompanying depression.

Bulimia is harder to diagnose than anorexia and doctors will often focus on the emotional qualities of the patient, their body image disparagement and the habitual nature of their disordered eating habits.