Eating Disorders in Teen Boys
There has been plenty of talk and awareness about eating disorders in girls and women. In fact, as many as 10 in 100 young U.S. women have an eating disorder, stemming from stress, depression, poor nutritional habits, poor body image and food fads, says the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
However, there’s a hushed murmuring of the other victims of eating disorders: teen boys and young men. This is a damaging stereotype that often silences males from seeking treatment, such as teen counseling. The National Eating Disorders Association says eating disorders will affect 10 million males in this country at some point in their lives. Such eating disorders can range from binge eating and purging to laxative abuse and fasting. The numbers show that these disorders are nearly as common for boys and men as they are for girls and women.
Further compounding the issue is the stigma attached that keeps males quiet about their disorder: a double stigma, in fact, for having a disorder characterized largely as female or gay for trying to get help. On top of that, current assessment tests are designed for females, which can skew results and lead to misconceptions about how eating disorders manifest in males.
The hard facts are there:
- 30 million people of all ages and genders have an eating disorder in the United States.
- One person dies every hour as a result of an eating disorder.
- Eating disorders come with the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
- Eating disorders affect all races and ethnic groups.
- Risk factors range from genetics to environmental factors to personality traits.
Trapped under the stigma of a “girl’s disease,” boys suffering from eating disorders like anorexia can face challenges to: #1, even acknowledge there’s a problem and #2, seek the right kind of help. The stigma spoken of above isn’t just in the teen boy’s own mind; sadly, it’s a snap judgement on the part of medical doctors as well. Many families say they have to see five or more doctors before anyone takes them seriously and refers them to the right kind of help.
We may not realize it, due to the overwhelming emphasis in society on the pressures of girls to look good, but teen boys are at the same mercy of those high standards as well. They are lured in by the billboards and the gym ads featuring bulging biceps and glutes. Why do we assume girls are the only ones who are impacted by these images? Can teen boys not fall into the trap of “I want to look like that and will stop at nothing to achieve it”?
The truth is yes, they do. Studies show that with proper and early treatment, 60 percent of eating disorder sufferers can make a full recovery.
Contact Midwest Psychological Services
If you suspect your teenager is suffering from an eating disorder, get help now. Contact Midwest Psychological Services at (715) 381-1980.