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Random quote: You will feel guilty because you ate, never because you fasted
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Ask people to think of anorexia and what do you expect them to say?
‘teenagers, young women, perfectionists, cheerleaders, achievers, models’
What do you not expect them to say?
‘over 20, mothers, grandmothers, Dr’s, sportswomen, ethnic minorities, men’.
Ever wondered why people don’t think of anorexia as a disease that can and does affect anyone, and why the stereotyped perception may be part of the picture but not the whole?
I have started to wonder why and set out to see what I could find about the silent sufferers of eating disorders, those who aren’t suitable for the textbooks, who don’t have amazing lives or reasons as to why they are remaining in the darkness. As you can imagine it turns out that in order to find out the answers to where these sufferers are I would need way more than just my inquisitory flashlight.
So I started out with the need for more information on a group of people whom I believe are being largely ignored by the eating disorder world. Men.
Ask people to tell you the information on breast cancer today?
‘1 in 9 women affected by age 85, the pink ribbon, charity walks for breast cancer’
How many of them tell you about the statistics for men?
‘men get breast cancer?’
‘300 of the 45,000 sufferers in the UK are men’.
Now I am not a man (although there are times believe me when I really wish I were) and so I clearly don’t know the in’s and out’s as to why men think the way they do. But that doesn’t stop me trying to find things out.
As with all eating disorders it is impossible to have an accurate set of statistics to draw upon, but with the numbers that are available it is estimated that 10% of anorexic sufferers are male. One set of statistics that was published in The Daily Mail newspaper in England in 2008 listed 137 males with the most severe cases of anorexia and those whose lives were in immediate danger were treated in hospital, this number had increased from 82 patients of the same condition in 01/02.
What about the others though, those who had not yet been confined to a hospital bed?
It is easy for commentators to blame the lack of statistics and the refusal of acknowledgment of the male sufferers on the fact that they are either too proud to seek help or that anorexia is a female disease with female causes and drives. I know plenty of women (one of whom looks me in the mirror everyday) whose pride stops her from seeking help so that argument is a non-starter on a sexual basis. As for the drives and causes of anorexia being female, this is something that should and can be strongly disproved.
There is no denying that men and women are very different in most aspects of life but a child who is bullied over their size is still a person regardless of male nor female. Likewise the sufferer of abuse and or trauma who seek ‘comfort’ in the numbness of anorexia are not turned away because of their sexuality. Men can be as deeply affected by both of this issues as are women. And it is also relevant to know that people in themselves react differently- five girls may be bullied but maybe one will become anorexic. Yet why society decides to inflict shame on one sex and not the other is something that has never been explained to me in a way that I can accept- domestic violence is domestic violence regardless of who does the hitting and the same goes for eating disorders.
There are however, certain aspects of a man’s life that could be seen to be a precipitating factor for the development of their anorexia. For example think of the adverts you have seen today. Think of how the man is being portrayed in those adverts, the strong, successful, well physiqued men all have the women, the power, the jobs (if you haven‘t seen any then just Google adverts for Gillette, perfume, new cars)- the overweight and or puny individual are often the butt of the adverts jokes (see fast food adverts, old cleaning products etc).
But men aren’t affected by self-esteem are they?
Yes they are and there are statistics out there that show that the drop in male self-esteem seems to be on the rise, for example in the year from 1999-2000 there was a 23% increase in the number of men having cosmetic procedures and liposuction from the previous years.
And what about younger children, what about the role models for today’s son’s and brothers?
We all know about Barbie and how if she were an actual woman she would be the size of a statue with a waist the size of a grain of rice, but what about the toys that boys play with? Well, In 1974 a GI Joe doll (Action Man) had a 44 inch chest,31 inch waist and 12 inch biceps. and today, well today the dolls have a 50 inch chest, a 28 inch waist and 22 inch biceps- more evidence to show that the focus is on the musculature shape of males bodies today. In fact some scientists have argued that in order to 'achieve' the dimensions of the GI Joe models it would be near on impossible to achieve them without the use of steroid supplements. these methods are incredibly dangerous, anabolic steroids for example can lead the taker to experience hallucinations, manic symptoms and depression.
And aside from steroids more and more males are turning to the dangers of eating disorders to try and feel more in control of themselves, their masculinity and their bodies. Males do restrict their diet but the evidence gathered from those who have ended up in hospital seem to show that men exercise more to lose weight than females do. Out of 100 runners that were questioned for a study 23% demonstrated an intense fear of gaining any weight, 21% admitted to being in a permanent battle to lower their body fat % even though they were already at minimal levels. Many of the runners surveyed also showed that they had already lost 25% of their original weight but were intent in losing more.
Another mainly male dominated area of sport is that of horseracing. Jockeys there frequently go to incredibly dangerous lengths in order to control their weight for a race. Now it could be argued that the driving force behind this is the competition of the event but does that make it ok? Many of them restrict their intake, use laxatives, diuretics, appetite suppressants, use saunas to the extreme and exercise and purge until the weight is reached.
If you look around on the internet you will find stories by men who’ve been through treatment, You will read their tales of having to be placed into a group with the main topic of conversation being one of coming to terms with puberty and not being afraid if periods and the whole grown up world. You will read stories from men whom when asked how nobody noticed until their BMI’s were down to 13 and below will say that the cause was never questioned because the answer wasn’t believed.
There are some books that have been written, many more need to be done, on the topic of males and the eating disorder world. Many seem to have focus on the fact that men seem to be overwhelmed by the shape of their muscles and bodies as opposed to the women’s desire to shrink the number on the scales.
One of the authors who has tackled the issue is Anna Paterson. One startling fact that she has drawn aware to is the alarming fact that it takes men, on average 6 years to seek help for their behaviours. 6 years before they feel like they either know where to go to find help or to feel ill enough as to not be bothered by their pride anymore. In my opinion that is 5 years and 51 weeks of suffering alone that they should not have to go through.
So the next time your boyfriend, husband, son, friend looks in the mirror and you see that same old reflection and hurt in his eyes as you do in yours, remember that as much as society loves to draw upon the differences between the sexes, how masculinity and femininity have sold more books worldwide than I’ve had hot dinners; eating disorders do not know of the differences in the sexes. That same old soul-destroying voice can and will invade any sufferer it seeks. Being a man does not protect them.
Having anorexia doesn’t change you.
It does not take away your masculinity, your strength, your personality.
You are worthy of help and support no matter what.
You are not alone.
Author Cleanbones
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