Because eating disorders primarily affect women, relatively little time has been spent trying to understand how the disorders express themselves in - and affect - men. The information that does exist seems to indicate that eating disorders and body image issues look very different in men than in women.

"According to Dr. [Peter} Rowan, there are also many men who have an unhealthy relationships with food who don't fit the diagnostic criteria - which are, of course, designed for women. For instance some men are obsessed with fitness, but not necessarily because they are trying to change their body shape. Some may, for example, become addicted to exercise in an attempt to live longer and avoid coronary heart disease."

As a result of these concerns, some men may develop disordered eating habits. The unique circumstances surrounding men's attitudes toward food and body image make diagnosing eating disorders difficult - but these difficulties don't mean that the disorders themselves don't exist. Source: Medical News Today

Labels: body_image, exercise, men