Men who have body image issues or an eating disorder often face a “double stigma,” according to a spokesperson for Bodywhys, the Irish Eating Disorders Association.
The organization has been providing support to people with eating disorders since 1995 and, in recent months, has seen an increase in the number of men accessing its services. It comes in the wake of recent campaigns which highlight how the problem affects men.
Bodywhys communications manager Ellen Jennings says there is a “double stigma” for men. “Not only is there the stigma of being a man with an eating disorder and the way it is viewed in society, but there is also the stigma of being seen as a problem. feminine.
Bodywhys saw a 69% increase in the number of men accessing its online services and a 114% increase via email between October 2020 and 2021.
According to the Irish Medical Journal, between March and September 2020, 40% of hospital admissions for eating disorders were male, the highest number on record.
One of the main problems is that men are often slower to seek help.
“I think that’s where the problem lies, it often takes longer for men to recognize that there is a problem in the first place,” says Jennings. “Delay in getting treatment can make the problem worse.”
Delay in seeking help
There are some more male risk factors. “If you think about the emphasis on muscle and the drive to gain weight, it can lead to over-regulation of your protein intake,” says Jennings.
New research also shows that men eat more, which is often a sign of underlying issues.
Unfortunately, many men don’t reach out until they get to a point of crisis.
Jennings says current statistics don’t quite reflect the reality of the situation, as many men are underdiagnosed.
Binge eating “is a coping mechanism,” Jennings explains, and vulnerable men might get used to coping this way. She adds, “We often say that when things around them go bad they turn into binge eating.”
The only thing that is similar regardless of gender is how an eating disorder develops. “Usually there is some sort of traumatic event in your life that changes your relationship with food, and you use food as a means of coping,” she says.
This is something that can happen at any stage of life – a US 2019 to study has shown that one in seven men will develop an eating disorder before the age of 40.
Unrealistic body images
Social media can often present a very organized outlook on life, causing people to compare themselves to unrealistic body images.
Unfortunately, even when there is a disclaimer on a photo that says it has been tampered with, that doesn’t stop people from having the same thoughts about how they could look better.
This quest for the perfect body can lead to something called orthorexia. It is generally described as having an unhealthy emphasis on healthy eating.
Jennings says, “It’s this inability to walk away from certain healthy foods and label everything else as bad for you.”
Although overeating is one type of eating disorder, this behavior of being compulsive about what you eat or not being able to “stray from a very strict diet” is another. type, she said.
Christmas – and especially Christmas Day – can be a difficult time for people with eating disorders.
Jennings says, “Having someone to turn to on the same day is really important.
Tell someone you trust that maybe you are starting to worry about things and be open about how you are feeling.
She encourages people to reach out and contact Bodywhys over Christmas if they are overwhelmed. “I think it can be difficult for people around Christmas in two ways – first, there’s the feeling of indulgence at first, but then there’s the guilt that comes from overeating.”
For those who suffer from bodily issues or an eating disorder, being able to distance yourself from the eating disorder voice in your head is an important step in recovery.
“The eating disorder is not your own voice, you didn’t choose to have that voice,” Jennings says.