In a March 17 article on BCLocalNews.com, writer Martin van den Hemel reported that Canadian health experts are becoming increasingly aware of the prevalence of eating disorders among men and boys:

Over the last few years, researchers have come to the realization that as many as one in four who suffer from anorexia or bulimia are male, said University of B.C. professor Dr. Laird Birmingham, senior scientist with the Child and Family Research Institute in Vancouver.

"Previously, some people thought eating disorders didnt occur much at all in males, whereas other people in certain centres that specialized in males with eating disorders thought they were very common," Birmingham said [March 16], ahead of a public forum on eating disorders in Richmond [on March 24].

But a cross-Canada nutrition survey conducted by the federal government four years ago suggested men accounted for 20 to 25 per cent of people with eating disorders.

Labels: canada, boys, men

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Susan Barry's son was thoughtful, kind and inclusive. He was also a perfectionist who died of anorexia nervosa. To honor the memory of her son, and raise awareness of the prevalence of eating disorders among teenage males, Barry is hosting a 5K race June 6 in Okemos, Michigan.

Barry said T.J. started out just wanting a six-pack of abdominal muscles. However, she said it got to a point where he couldn't stop obsessing over his weight. ... Her son, she noted, performed 1,000 sit-ups every morning and another 1,000 at night. (Source: Lansing State Journal)

The race is named after her son -- 5K4TJ -- and is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 10 a.m., starting at Kinawa Middle School in Okemos. The fee is $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the race.

Though many people mistakenly believe that eating disorders only affect girls and women, cases of eating disorders among boys and men are becoming much more common.

Labels: boys, men, eating disorders

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A survey of 1,600 young adults revealed that boys eat more fast food as they go through their teen years, but girls seem to level off in their early teens.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota kept track of the teens for five years. At the beginning of the study, about 20% of both the boys and girls ate fast food three times a week. Five years later, the percentage of males had increased to 33%.

Labels: boys, nutrition, fast_food

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An increasing number of cultures are being exposed to the "thin beauty ideal". The result is that certain ethnic groups are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders. One such group that is causing concern for many experts is young Hispanic men.

"Let by Y. May Chao of Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, researchers examined data from nationally representative samples of high schools from 1995 to 2005... Among males, white adolescents are the least likely to practice weight control and Hispanic adolescents are the most likely. The authors suggest that Hispanics may be more motivated to control weight due to the higher prevalence of overweight among these young men."

While this, in and of itself is cause for concern, experts are especially troubled by the fact that young men are far less likely to admit they have eating disorders or to ask for help.

Find a private boys school for your son at SchoolsForBoys.com.

Labels: boys, cultures, ethnicity

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When people talk about eating disorders, they most often talk about women and young girls. But people are beginning to recognize that many young men also struggle with eating and body image issues.

"[Francesca] Maresca said women focus on having smaller frames, but there is a reverse body dysmorphia for men. The difference between men and women with negative body-image issues, Maresca said, is that 'men believe they're not muscular enough, they want to bulk up and get bigger.'"

Psychiatrist Dr. Steven Dyckman said he's seen an increase in the number of male patients who have eating disorders and body image issues. He believes the pressure for men to look a certain way is becoming equal to the pressure women face. Read more at THNT.com.

Equine Therapy is a form of treatment that works when traditional talk therapy fails. Aspen Ranch offers one of the best equine therapy programs for troubled teens.

Labels: boys, body_image, manorexia

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Eating disorders are most commonly associated with women and young girls. But a recent study by Harvard researchers shows that eating disorders among men and boys may be more prevalent than previously thought.

"In the male population, adolescents and young adults are at greatest risk for eating disorders. Although the risk factors and signs of eating disorders are very similar in both males and females... the condition is more frequently overlooked and less likely to be diagnosed and treated in males. One reason for this is that most research, general information, and media attention is focused on the female patients with eating disorders."

Previously, it was estimated that eating disorders occurred ten times more often among women than men. The Harvard study, however, states that a ratio of 3-to-1 is more accurate. Read more at News.Nurse.com.

Boys struggling with their emotions coupled with learning disorders often lash out at the very people who are trying to help them. Stone Mountain School is a boys boarding school that can teach boys to control their emotions and also help with ADD, ADHD, and other learning disorders.

Labels: diagnosis, boys, manorexia

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Boys, men, and some ethnicities may cause doctors to overlook the possibility of eating disorders among these groups, according to researchers at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

"'We need to think more broadly about who struggles with eating disorders,' said adolescent medicine and eating disorder specialist Rebecka Peebles, MD, instructor in pediatrics (adolescent medicine). Peebles pointed out that diagnostic and even treatment criteria were developed with Caucasian women or girls in mind. 'We may not be asking the right questions for these other groups at all.'"

One of the studies conducted by Peebles surveyed the differences in eating disorders among boys and girls ages 8 to nineteen. The most common "alarm" for eating disorders is an expressed desire to be thin - but most boys express a desire to be healthy, not necessarily thin. And they aren't as likely as girls to starve themselves, but instead resort to over-exercising and severely limiting food intake, which can create the same damaging results. Read more at Huliq.com.

Labels: diagnosis, boys, treatment

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Though the world is slowly waking up to the fact that body image issues and eating disorders don’t just affect females, a new study has found that men and boys still feel ashamed, unnoticed and unable to get professional help.

“The stigma around males and body image means males find it even harder to acknowledge they have an eating disorder and seek help. Males showing signs of eating disorders are less likely to be recognized and diagnosed by professionals including GPs and psychiatrists.” - Source: MediLexicon

These days, men face as many unrealistic expectations as women – though the expectations are different. Instead of being expected to be thin as a rail, men feel pressured to have six-pack abs, lots of muscle and not an ounce of fat. Organizations like the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) are working to raise awareness and eradicate the stigma so that men can get the help they need.
 

Labels: boys, men, body image

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