Male anorexia: causes, symptoms and peculiarities

We have all seen or heard at some point about a case of anorexia.

Almost always the image that comes to mind when talking about this disorder is that of an adolescent in full puberty or that of a woman recently entered adulthood, with an obsessive fear and/or rejection of increasing or maintaining their current weight and a distorted image of their body that cause an overvalued idea of ​​the need to lose weight.

However, although the female sex is the most common in clinical practice, the existence of a relevant sector of men who suffer from this disorder should not be forgotten. So we are talking about the existence of male anorexia.

Facing the concept of anorexia: what are we talking about?

To understand this disorder it is necessary to visualize what is being talked about. Anorexia is one of the eating disorders most common, with a prevalence that has increased from around 0.5% to 5% of the world population in a few years, a percentage that continues to rise over the years. Of this percentage, 90% of cases are women (generally around 14-18 years of age), and 10% of them are men. It is the mental disorder with the highest risk of death in adolescence, being one of the few psychiatric disorders capable of causing the death of the affected by itself.

The symptoms that make us suspect and be able to diagnose this disorder are the refusal to maintain a minimum body weight, fear of gaining weight, a perception distortion of one's own body image that induces weight loss through different strategies, either by cessation of ingestion, being this type of restrictive type anorexia, or through compensation strategies (vomiting or exercise) in the case of type anorexia purgative/compulsive These phenomena have induced him/her to lose at least 15% of their body weight, and there has also been no sick feeling. Besides in the case of females there is also the presence of amenorrhea or lack of menstruation.

Epidemiology of male anorexia

As mentioned, 10% of anorexia cases occur in men. Within the male population suffering from anorexia, according to the studies carried out, there seem to be some risk groups.

gay population

Studies show that the gay population (as well as, although to a lesser extent, the bisexual) have an increased risk of anorexia, with a high proportion of cases in this sector of the population. A hypothesis regarding the reason for this higher prevalence proposes that it is due to the existence of a large emotional tension in the stage of formation of one's own identity when assuming one's own orientation sexual. This high tension and fear of rejection facilitates vulnerability to suffering from eating disorders when trying to reduce them by fixing on the image itself.

Social rejection

Another group with a high number of cases is that from bullying and social rejection. Individuals with a history of social rejection due to being overweight are at increased risk of developing male anorexia. As in the previous case, great tension is caused during the formation of identity that causes vulnerability and a fixation with one's own body shape and the ideal of masculine beauty.

Elite athletes/models

A final high-risk group is that of child athletes, which when faced with the establishment of performance expectations that are too high by adults tend to have a lower tolerance for failure, trying to correct it with a lower intake and performing a higher level of exercise physical.

Distinguishing Features of Male Anorexia

Male anorexia, although it shares most of its characteristics with its female counterpart, presents a series of peculiarities that are beginning to be explored.

Social perception of disease

One of the differences derives from the lack of social perception of this disease in men.. Given the high prevalence of eating disorders in the female sex, there is a social image that these disorders do not occur in men, that there is no male anorexia. Although in the case of females anorexia has been established as a problem of high priority and importance, in the In the case of men, this disorder has often been underestimated, receiving little attention and not being little investigated.

self-perception

Likewise, the gender role traditionally attributed to the male implies that he must act as a protector, having to show strength and hide weaknesses. This means that, as a general rule, the individual does not actively seek help to deal with these problems, nor when expressing his emotions.

There is usually a feeling of weakness and social judgment that leads to keeping behaviors secret even when they become aware of the disease. Likewise, many of the acquired behaviors, such as excessive physical exercise, are seen both by who suffer from the disease as something they could not live without, so that there is a high resistance to seeking help professional. There is also a tendency to underestimate the effects and severity of the symptoms of the disorder and its effects.

behavioral pattern

In the case of men, the typical behavioral pattern also changes. As with women, society and the canon of beauty prevailing in today's society causes constant pressure regarding body image. In the case of females, this canon induces them to be thin. In the case of men, however, in addition to thinness is added the need to maintain a toned and muscular body.

Thus, although the most frequent subtype of anorexia in women is restrictive anorexia, in which they reduce their intake and follow varied diets, in the case of male anorexia, the purgative/compulsive subtype is more frequent, in which an attempt is made to reduce weight through behaviors that compensate for caloric gain and also generate muscle mass. Thus, it is more common for men to exercise compulsively.

Treatment of male anorexia

Also in the treatment of anorexia in men there are some variations.

Male anorexia, as previously indicated, tends to be underestimated and underdiagnosed, causing men with this disorder to not usually receive treatment and support tailored to your needs. As a general rule, men tend to take longer to see a doctor due to this problem, which in principle makes it difficult and slows down overcoming the disorder.

However, male anorexia has a slight advantage over its female counterpart. The response to treatment tends to be faster in men in the first phase of therapy, more directed at behavior, due to an apparent better understanding and follow-up of treatments direct. It must be taken into account that this type of disorder in men usually occurs together with an idea of ​​weakness or personal extravagance. This causes that a specific diagnosis supposes in many occasions a certain relief, given the better understanding of what is happening to them. Therefore they present a better reaction.

Treatment of this disorder is a complex phenomenon. The basic goals of treatment would be restoring weight to a healthy level, treating physical complications, and psychological, the improvement of motivation and eating patterns, and the modification of the perception of body image, adjusting to the reality. In this sense Common treatments used are systematic desensitization, exposure with response prevention and body image modification. Likewise, the improvement of the support network and the prevention of relapses are also proposed.

In conclusion, it should be noted that in both males and females anorexia nervosa is a serious disorder that can lead to the death of the patient and must be treated with the highest priority, seriousness and I respect.

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