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Eating disorders in men and boys
Eating disorders are still widely thought of as illnesses that affect girls and women. They are not. Men and boys develop anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID, and they often go unrecognized because neither they nor the people around them expect it. Eating disorders in men can look just like they do in women, and they can also take a different form, often centered on muscularity rather than thinness. They are just as serious, and just as treatable.
This page covers how common eating disorders are in men, how they can present differently, and why they are so often missed. For an overview of the conditions, see what is an eating disorder.
Men get eating disorders
A widely cited figure from the National Eating Disorders Association is that about one in three people with an eating disorder is male, and that subclinical disordered-eating behaviors are nearly as common in men as in women.1 That one-in-three figure reflects disordered-eating behaviors broadly. Diagnosed rates from national survey data are lower but still substantial: lifetime prevalence in men of roughly 0.3 percent for anorexia, 0.5 percent for bulimia, and 2.0 percent for binge eating disorder.2 Notably, binge eating disorder is far less female-skewed than the others, so men make up a large share of those affected.
How it can present in men
Eating disorders in men frequently center on a drive for muscularity rather than thinness: a pursuit of a bigger, leaner, more muscular body through rigid "clean" eating, heavy supplement use, and compulsive training. A nationally representative study found muscularity-oriented disordered eating in about 22 percent of young men, compared with 5 percent of young women.3 Because this does not match the thin-body stereotype, it is often mistaken for dedication to fitness.
Many men, though, have the same presentations seen in women, including classic anorexia or bulimia centered on thinness, restriction, or purging. An eating disorder in a man can look exactly like the stereotype, or nothing like it.
Why men are missed
The under-recognition of eating disorders in men is well documented.4
Stereotype and stigma
Eating disorders are seen as a female problem, so men are less likely to be asked about them, and many feel ashamed to have what they see as a "women's issue," which keeps them from coming forward.
Tools built around women
Screening questionnaires and even some diagnostic criteria (such as loss of menstrual periods) were developed with women in mind and fit men poorly.
Late and overlooked
Men often present later, and have historically been excluded from treatment research, so the evidence base underrepresents them.
This matters because the illnesses are dangerous in men. Among adolescent boys with eating disorders, a majority have arrived with vital-sign instability meeting criteria for hospitalization, and the death rate among males with anorexia is elevated.4
Men recover
Once identified, men respond to treatment similarly to women.1 The central problem is recognition, getting men screened, diagnosed, and into care, rather than any difference in how treatable the illness is. If you recognize these patterns in yourself or someone you love, an assessment is the first step. See how to help a loved one start treatment, or search for programs.
References
References
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National Eating Disorders Association: Eating Disorders in Men and Boys. About one in three people with an eating disorder is male (a behavioral, not diagnosis-only, figure); men are much less likely to be assessed or diagnosed; once in treatment, men show similar responses to women. ↩ ↩
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Hudson JI, Hiripi E, Pope HG Jr, Kessler RC. The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry. 2007;61(3):348-358. Lifetime prevalence in men: anorexia 0.3 percent, bulimia 0.5 percent, binge eating disorder 2.0 percent (versus 0.9, 1.5, and 3.5 percent in women). ↩
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Nagata JM, et al. Predictors of muscularity-oriented disordered eating behaviors in U.S. young adults: A prospective cohort study. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2019;52(12):1380-1388. Muscularity-oriented disordered eating behaviors were reported by about 22 percent of young men versus 5 percent of young women. ↩
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Nagata JM, Ganson KT, Murray SB. Eating disorders in adolescent boys and young men: an update. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2020;32(4):476-481. Documents under-recognition of eating disorders in males, female-normed criteria and screening, exclusion of males from research, the muscularity-oriented presentation, and serious medical findings (a majority of adolescent boys with eating disorders had vital-sign instability; elevated mortality in males with anorexia). ↩ ↩
Common questions
Do men get eating disorders?
Yes. Eating disorders affect men and boys at every age. A commonly cited figure is that about one in three people with an eating disorder is male, and national survey data show meaningful lifetime rates in men, especially for binge eating disorder, which is far less female-skewed than anorexia or bulimia.
How are eating disorders different in men?
The core illnesses are the same, but men more often show a muscularity-oriented pattern: a drive to be bigger and leaner rather than simply thin, with rigid eating, supplement use, and compulsive exercise. One national study found muscularity-oriented disordered eating in about 22 percent of young men versus 5 percent of young women.
Why are eating disorders in men so often missed?
Eating disorders are stereotyped as a female problem, so men are less likely to be screened or diagnosed. Many assessment tools and even some diagnostic criteria were built around women (for example, loss of menstrual periods), and men often present later and are underrepresented in research.
Are eating disorders in men as serious?
Yes. Adolescent boys with eating disorders frequently arrive with vital-sign instability requiring hospitalization, and the death rate among males with anorexia is high. The illnesses are just as medically dangerous in men, and a late diagnosis only adds risk.
Can men recover from eating disorders?
Yes. Once identified, men respond to treatment similarly to women. The biggest barrier is getting recognized and into care, which is why knowing the male-pattern signs matters.
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