MICDS
Male Anorexia: It’s Real Volume 1, Issue 1 By: Kayla Brown What is male anorexia? Why and how does someone become a victim of it? What will be the results? Why is this a serious issue? Who is likely to have it?
Inside this issue: What are the signs of male anorexia?
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What causes male anorexia?
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Do male anorexics differ from females?
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Why people should know about it?
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November 24, 2009
Introduction Anorexia is an eating disorder that most people know about. They know that it deals with self image and eating very little. It is known it is most heard of as a “women’s disease”. However, do they know that males can also have an eating disorder, including anorexia? There are only a few studies of male anorexia, but according to National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, out of the 8 million Americans with eating disorders men make up 1 million. There is the study that 25% of adult males have eating disorders (Harvard University Medical School). Unfortunately, because anorexia is thought of as a “women’s disease,” most people do not even know the existence of men possibly having it too. It does not help that treatment for men is more difficult to come by then women. There is also the possibility of male anorexia to even go unnoticed when a male has it . Eating disorders make life very difficult for those with it and because of the number of people who do not know about male anorexia, it is important that the topic is brought to light.
What is Anorexia? An eating disorder is a condition when someone develops unhealthy eating habits that can damage their health or possibly kill them. Eating disorders are not contagious but are very dangerous to those who have it. There are many eating disorders existing today but one of the two that most common is anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is the disease in which one self -starves themselves and loses a large amount of weight. People that have anorexia are very skinny, but they are convinced they are overweight. Because of this, they continue to eat
less and less food. Anorexics also have a fear of ever becoming overweight. They will have odd habits like not wanting to eat in front of others people or playing with their food instead of eating it. Anorexia is a disease which is most common in teenaged females. So because of anorexia more common in females, the thought of males having it too rarely comes to mind.
Male Anorexia: It’s
What are the signs of male anorexia? Like women that have anorexia, men also show the same symptoms of being a potential victim to the disorder. The obvious signs would include increase in large amounts of weight loss and obsessive preoccupation with their own body and weight. Signs of anorexia also include fatigue, thinning of hair, isolating themselves, and perfectionist behavior. Anorexics will also experience low blood pressure and heart rate, brain damages, and re-
duced muscle mass. Victims of anorexia, unsatisfied with how they look will continue to starve themselves. Even though they will look practically like skeletons, in their minds they are obese. Different emotions and feelings arise with anorexia. For example, anorexics will, along with other symptoms, loose sexual desire, become depressed, and full anxiety. All of these signs will eventually lead to death at one point.
What causes male anorexia? Anorexia is not a disease that someone can catch if you are sneezed or coughed on. It is a disease that starts emotionally and then leads to the physical effects of being extremely thin and weak. The characteristics of a male anorexic are similar to a woman’s. The need to feel accepted, low self-esteem and inability to cope with relation-
ships and emotional pressures are just a few of them (Arthur Schoenstadt, MD). Causes of male anorexia can range from family and genetics to what is seen of TV and in the media. Also, some sports stress the need to be lean and that can be taken to the extreme. Most men will be obese at some point during anorexia and will feel the pressure of
being thin unlike most women who “feel” overweight (Arthur Schoenstadt, MD). Most of male anorexic will start showing signs in the adolescent years but even elder men at the age of 60 can also have it (Arthur Schoenstadt, MD). Homosexual men are more likely to have anorexia as well.
Do male anorexics different from females?
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Women and men rarely different characteristic of anorexia, however, because of the few differences, male anorexia can be even more dangerous than women who have it. Men will starve themselves like women do during their illness. But what will happen they will also over exercise during anorexia. This will give men a skinny yet muscular look so doctors won’t be able
tell if they have the disease right away. Because male anorexia is considered a “women’s disease”, most men who have it think they don’t. Men who are even healthy will not be aware of being victim to the horrible disease. They will also be reluctant to admit it out of embarrassment. So, because of this, most men suffer in complete silence. Also, treatment for men will also be hard to come
by. The majority of doctors are not prepared to treat eating disorders for women, not for men. Also, diagnosing male anorexia takes twice as long as to diagnose a woman with anorexia. This just gives more time for the conditions to get worse (Hubpages.com: Male Anorexia.)This adds on to the longer extent of diagnosing men too.
Volume 1, Issue 1
Why does male anorexia need to be more well known? The reason why male anorexia should be brought to light is because of how rare it is. Now, males who suffer from male anorexia are starting to increase. Because of how rare male anorexia is, most people don’t think it exists. Therefore, many who have it will not think they do. Also, like this paper has discussed before, doctors are not prepared for treatment of male anorexia. Mal ano-
rexics will be ashamed to admit they have a disease or even go to a support groups because mostly, women will be there (Arthur Schoenstadt ). Men are suffering from this disease and will not have many options on where to go to next. They will feel a loss of control in the situation of being an anorexic which is something a male is unlikely to want to admit it (Hubpages.com:Male Anorexia). Eating disor-
ders in general need to seen as both male and female. It needs to be known that people with anorexia do not have to suffer quietly. They can get help and the treatment can be found. It is up to everyone to see the seriousness of these disorders for both genders in order to save lives. Easting disorders need to be recognized as a disease-something someone can be victim to no matter what gender.
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BIBLOGRAPGHY “Male Anorexia.” eMedTv. 31 December 2008.17 November 2009. <http://anorexia.emedtv.com/anorexia/maleanorexia.html> “Male Anorexia.” HubPages. 19 November 2009. <http://hubpages.com/hub/Male-Anorexia> “Anorexia.” Mama’s Health.com 19 November 2009. <http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp> Kittleson Mark J. The Truth About Eating Disorders. Book Builders, 2005. Epstein, Randi. “When Eating Disorders Strike in Midlife.” New York Times. 13 July 2009: Health. RESOURCES Name: National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Address: National Eating Disorders Association 603 Stewart Street, Suite 803 Seattle, WA 98101 Contact Information: 1-800-931-2237 Name: Castlewood: Treatment Center for Eating Disorders Address: Castlewood Treatment Center 800 Holland Rd. St. Louis, Missouri 63021 Contact Information: 636-386-6611 “Male Anorexia.” eMedTv. 31 December 2008.17 November 2009. <http://anorexia.emedtv.com/anorexia/maleanorexia.html> Kittleson Mark J. The Truth About Eating Disorders. Book Builders, 2005.