Someone who looks in the mirror and sees an unfit, unattractive, fat person (no matter what the reflection really looks like) has a distorted body image. This mental health issue affects millions of women -- and millions of men, too.

"Male eating disorders are under-diagnosed because society lacks awareness of them and men are less likely to admit they have this medical problem and seek help," Roberto Olivardia, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, told McClatchy Tribune Newspapers.

Olivardia, who co-authored The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession, told McClatchy that he estimates as many as five million men may be affected by body image issues. Causes for distorted body image in men are unknown, as research is still in its infancy.

Labels: body image

Posted By: Aspen/CRC