Growing up, Gary Grahl was a popular kid. He had an active social life, excelled athletically and academically and was often asked out on dates. But he began to feel pressure to live up to other people's expectations, and that pressure eventually expressed itself as a full-blown eating disorder.

"I was afraid to gain weight,' he said, 'even though it was necessary to look like [famous movie stars and athletes]. So I started to lose weight when exercising and it got to be an addiction. I liked the control of losing weight.' He said therapy eventually forced him to recognize his three biggest fears: fear of growing up, fear of failure and a fear of his own emotions."

It took 17 years, but Grahl overcame his eating disorder. Now, he's published a book titled "Skinny Boy" that chronicles his battle with anorexia. Grahl is also a consultant for the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders and a guidance counselor at Sturgeon Bay High School where he speaks to the kids about nutrition and healthy living.

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Labels: awareness, manorexia, pressures

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.

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Labels: body_image, boys, manorexia

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: boys, diagnosis, manorexia

A new national survey by Harvard University of 3,000 people indicates that eating disorders are more common among males than people may think.

Researchers found that 25% of all those suffering from anorexia and bulimia and 40% of binge eaters are boys and men.

Most people associate eating disorders with females, which is the reason that parents, doctors, coaches and others do not identify such problems in boys. Males with eating disorders have a different motivation. Girls want to be thin and beautiful; boys want to be fit and "buff." Males often develop eating disorders to meet weight requirements for sports like wrestling or for military service.

The researchers also found that males are more likely to be overweight and older than girls are when they develop such disorders.

Labels: manorexia, motivation, sports

When it comes to eating disorders, the media and the public-at-large primarily focus on young girls. But the disorders are not uncommon among men, either. For men, admitting to an eating disorder can be especially tough because the world tells them they're supposed to be strong, productive and efficient.

"For men, the problem of getting help goes beyond the issues of stigma and denial. If you want to get help, you have to ask for it - that's where the problems begin. 'Men tend not to seek medical treatment,' said [Paul] Gallant [operation leader, provincial mental health programs for Providence Health], 'especially for mental disorders. Men are expected to be masculine. Asking for help could be perceived at a sign of weakness.'"

Often, the same recovery programs are used for both male and female patients, even though the causes among men and women are often very different. Some treatment centers have begun to realize this are developing programs that are gender-specific. Read more at Canada.com.

Labels: denial, manorexia, support