How to Treat Anorexia in Men
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How to Treat Anorexia in Men
Introduction
Previously thought to be rare, male eating disorders are on the rise, and men are just as likely to become ill as women. The nature of anorexia in men is quite different than it is in women. Men tend to develop exercise anorexia, marked by an obsession with physical exercise to the point of exhaustion. Men with anorexia strive for particular body-fat percentages or body types. Once diagnosed, it is more challenging to treat men with anorexia, as the disease and its recovery process has long been associated with women.
Instructions
Difficulty: Challenging
Identify Anorexia in Men
Steps
1
Step One
Watch out for men who exercise obsessively. For instance, some anorexic men have been known to exercise up to 5 hours daily while denying themselves proper food intake.
2
Step Two
Listen to the complaints of men concerning their bodies. In general, anorexic men fixate on upper body fat while anorexic women focus on the lower body-fat percentage.
3
Step Three
Pay attention to intense preoccupation with body shape, not necessarily size. Men with anorexia strive to achieve a specific shape or body type. In contrast, anorexic women tend to want to drop weight.
4
Step Four
Keep an eye on athletes. Male athletes will often push themselves into anorexia as a way of preparing for athletic performances in which weight is a concern.
Treat Anorexia in Men
Steps
1
Step One
Confront your friend or family member and express your concerns kindly. Expect resistance, as men are often more reluctant to believe there is a problem. This may be due to the stigmas associated with anorexia and the thinking that anorexia is a disease that only affects women.
2
Step Two
Plan an intervention. An intervention involves confronting your friend or loved one and helping him to admit to his anorexic behavior. Be ready with treatment information.
3
Step Three
Seek medical and mental-health treatment. Just like women with the disease, men may be required to attend therapy, undergo hospitalization and take antidepressants or anxiety reducing medications.
4
Step Four
Expect to find a challenge. Most eating disorder clinics specialize in women's issues because of the dominance of eating disorders in females. Some clinics will absolutely refuse to treat men at all.
5
Step Five
Find help at the national level if you are unsuccessful locally. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website for clinic referrals (see Resources below).
Overall Tips & Warnings
- It is often hard to diagnose males with anorexia. The primary problem is that many diagnostic tests cater to women and questionnaires involve female-oriented questions, such as the date of the last menstrual cycle.
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