Solutions for Eating Disorders

The following information is educational only and is sited from the National Eating Disorders Association. Visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org for more information.

Eating disorders are not exclusive to women. The rate of males developing eating disorders is on the rise. The symptoms for anorexia, bulimia, and bulimia are virtually the same in both males and females.

Anorexia in males:

Behavioral Characteristics:

• Excessive dieting, fasting, restricted diet
• Food rituals
• Preoccupation with body building, weight lifting, or muscle toning
• Compulsive exercise
• Difficulty eating with others, lying about eating
• Frequently weighing self
• Preoccupation with food
• Focus on certain body parts; e.g., buttocks, thighs, stomach
• Disgust with body size or shape
• Distortion of body size; i.e., feels fat even though others tell him he is already very thin

Emotional and Mental Characteristics:

• Intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight
• Depression
• Social isolation
• Strong need to be in control
• Rigid, inflexible thinking, “all or nothing”
• Decreased interest in sex or fears around sex
• Possible conflict over gender identity or sexual orientation
• Low sense of self worth -- uses weight as a measure of worth
• Difficulty expressing feelings
• Perfectionistic -- strives to be the neatest, thinnest, smartest, etc.
• Difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating
• Irritability, denial -- believes others are overreacting to his low weight or caloric restriction
• Insomnia

Physical Characteristics:

• Low body weight (15% or more below what is expected for age, height, activity level)
• Lack of energy, fatigue
• Muscular weakness
• Decreased balance, unsteady gait
• Lowered body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate
• Tingling in hands and feet
• Thinning hair or hair loss
• Lanugo (downy growth of body hair)
• Heart arrhythmia
• Lowered testosterone levels

Contact Thia about your eating concerns.

 Bulimia in Males:

Behavioral Characteristics:

• • Recurrent episodes of binge eating: eating an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances
  • A sense of lack of control over eating during binge episodes
  • Recurrent purging or compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain: secretive self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or fasting, compulsive exercise (possibly including excessive running, body building, or weight lifting)
  • Hoarding of food, hiding food and eating in secret
  • Frequently weighing self
  • Preoccupation with food
  • Focus on certain body parts; e.g., buttocks, thighs, stomach
  • Disgust with body size or shape
  • Distortion of body size; i.e., feels fat even though he may be thin

Emotional and Mental Characteristics:

• • Intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight
  • Performance and appearance oriented
  • Works hard to please others
  • Depression
  • Social isolation
  • Possible conflict over gender identity or sexual orientation
  • Strong need to be in control
  • Difficulty expressing feelings
  • Feelings of worthlessness -- uses weight, appearance, and achievement as measures of worth
  • Rigid, inflexible “all or nothing” thinking

Physical Characteristics:

• • Weight fluctuations
  • Loss of dental enamel due to self-induced vomiting
  • Edema (fluid retention or bloating)
  • Constipation
  • Swollen salivary glands
  • Cardiac arrhythmia due to electrolyte imbalances
  • Esophageal tears, gastric rupture
  • Lack of energy, fatigue

Binge Eating Disorder in males:

Behavioral Characteristics:

• • Recurrent episodes of binge eating
  • Eating much more rapidly than normal
  • A sense of lack of control over eating during binge episodes
  • Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
  • Hoarding food
  • Hiding food and eating in secret; e.g., eating alone or in the car, hiding wrappers
  • Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
  • Eating throughout the day with no planned mealtimes

Physical Characteristics:

• • Heart and blood pressure problems
  • Joint problems
  • Abnormal blood-sugar levels
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty walking or engaging in physical act

 The mental and emotional characteristics of binge eating disorder and bulimia are very similar.