Eating disorders in men are increasing dramatically
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating: When it comes to eating disorders, one thinks first of young women and girls. In fact, men are also increasingly affected. This is shown by an evaluation of data from the commercial health insurance company (KKH). A quarter of the younger sufferers are now male, ten years earlier it was a fifth.
60 percent more young men are affected
Specifically, between 2008 and 2018, the number of 12 to 17-year-old boys and men who received medical treatment for an eating disorder rose by almost 60 percent. Among women and girls of the same age, the increase was 22 percent.
Another finding that the evaluation provides: Eating disorders are also increasingly present in middle-aged men and women. Among those aged 40 and over, the number of women affected has increased by more than half since 2008 (plus 54 percent), and among men of the same age by almost double (plus 96 percent).
Eating disorders often go undetected
In men and more mature women, eating disorders are more likely to be overlooked by the environment. Eating disorders are often not noticed immediately, especially in men. Instead of losing weight, they often do excessive sport - for example addictive strength training. The later the disorder is treated, the more difficult it is to overcome.
Possible signs of an eating disorder include:
- severe weight gain or loss
- frequent fluctuations in weight
- noticeable muscle growth
- Overemphasis on physical appearance
- Abnormalities in eating behavior
- excessive sporting commitment
- Changes in behavior or mood (social withdrawal, loss of interest, mood swings, decline in performance at school)
What relatives can do
Friends, parents or partners should take action if they feel that something is wrong. However, people with eating disorders are often not open to such conversations. The Federal Center for Health Education gives the following advice:
- From a first-person perspective, share what changes in behavior you have noticed and why you are concerned.
- Be open and understand. The person concerned will not open up if he feels rejected, devalued or misunderstood.
- Make room for positive topics and experiences that have nothing to do with the eating disorder. Weight, figure and eating behavior should not be the focus of attention all the time. Otherwise the person concerned feels reduced to this aspect.
- Accusations, blame, warnings or threats are not helpful and only cause the person concerned to withdraw. They should therefore not be used.
- Make the person affected feel that you are there for them and that the person concerned is not alone. For example, you can make offers to talk.
- Motivate your relatives carefully to seek help, e.g. at a counseling center. Offer to accompany him.
- Also appreciate small achievements.
