When people talk about eating disorders, most people automatically think of females with eating disorders, but there is a rising number of men and boys now suffering from the problem. Male eating disorders occur all over the country, including Stamford, CT. At the gym, we focus on building strength, not just having the perfect body, but it doesn’t mean it can’t occur. You should know the types of disorders and signs. They include anorexia, bulimia, muscle dysmorphia, and binge eating.
It’s not all about having the perfect body, control, and living up to a mental image.
There are many reasons why eating disorders occur. Having a perfect body, maintaining physical control, and mental body image are three. You can’t change some factors. It might be genetic or learned. People who have family members with eating disorders are more at risk. Personality plays a role. People who tend to be more negative, perfectionists, or have an impulsive personality are more at risk.
You can’t be too rich or too thin.
Well actually, you can be too thin or in the case of men with eating disorders, have a body composition with the lowest possible fat percentage. It can be dangerous. Men and boys may see themselves as skinny or underweight and they develop a new dysfunction called muscle dysmorphia. Bodybuilders often have that problem. It causes them to spend hours in the gym, counting calories closely, and consuming food and supplements that build muscles. The most dangerous symptom, besides an extreme diet, is the use of steroids to build.
What are the symptoms of the other eating disorders?
People with anorexia have a strict list of foods they can eat and ones they can’t. They fear gaining weight, even though they already may be dangerously underweight. Bodyweight plays a role in self-esteem. The thinner the person is, the better they feel about themselves. People with anorexia don’t see themselves as underweight even when their weight is dangerously low. People with bulimia eat large amounts of money at one time and then purge it from their system by vomiting or using laxatives. As with anorexia, they fear weight gain, linking their self-esteem to body weight. Binge eating is similar to bulimia but without the purging. During an episode, their food consumption is out of control and they eat even if they’re not hungry.
- Of every three people with eating disorders, one of them is male. Most men have muscle dysmorphia and their goal is not to lose weight but to become more muscular and have less fat.
- Muscle dysmorphia is associated with orthorexia nervosa. It’s an eating disorder that has an unhealthy obsession with clean eating and eliminating certain food groups to the point of malnutrition. The obsession interferes with their daily life and daily activities.
- Depression and mental issues are linked to eating disorders but it’s unknown which came first, the disorder or the depression. People with eating disorders suffer a higher incidence of substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.
- Treatment for male eating disorders varies. Each person is unique with their own unique issues and condition level. It’s all about taking healthy weight, healthy eating, or exercise to extremes and neglecting other areas of life.
For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training