According to a study conducted among more than 1,000 young Russians by the online school of psychological professions Psychodemia (part of Ultimate Education) and the UNESCO educational community for adolescents and young people “Dvor”, 57.7% of respondents are dissatisfied with his body. Among men, the majority are between 16 and 21 years old and between 22 and 27 years old: 39% and 21%, respectively. At the same time, 81% of men surveyed at risk of developing eating disorders (ED) faced condemnation for their figure. Of them, 51% are between 16 and 21 years old, 22% are between 22 and 27 years old.
Experts discussed the main risk factors for the development of eating disorders in men and the adverse health consequences of eating problems.
What we will tell you about:
Social factor
It is quite difficult to objectively assess the frequency of eating disorders in men due to the low percentage of diagnosis, as they are less likely to seek help. Social stigma and lack of awareness also play a role.
Photo: istockphoto.com/Antonio_Diaz
The main factors in the appearance of eating disorders in men, as in women, are social. Thus, according to the study, 39% of young people surveyed, after seeing fashion magazines or celebrity social networks, began to feel dissatisfied with their body and tried to lose weight or gain muscle mass. The majority of those facing the problem (25%) are between 16 and 21 years old.
The media’s unrealistic beauty standards, as well as societal expectations, also have an impact. For example, the following people faced conviction for their figure:
63.5% of all respondents were asked by family members; 60% by colleagues; 23% by strangers; 16.8% by their role in sports clubs; and by colleagues.
The development of eating problems is also influenced by the eating habits formed in the family. For example, when in childhood parents forced the child to finish the meal against her will, they manipulated the food, commented on the size of the portions and the quality of the child’s body.
All of this has a detrimental effect on relationships with food and, in the future, can lead to an adult’s compulsive overeating and subsequent “exercising”, in the gym or on a diet.
emotional factor
Sofia Sokolova
Clinical psychologist, specialist in working with eating disorders, expert in “Psychodemics”
The onset of the disease in men is observed later than in women (15-18 years and 19-26 years, respectively). Dysmorphia, as one of the components of an eating disorder, in men more often manifests itself in dissatisfaction with their muscle mass: it seems smaller to them than it really is. This is called bigorexia – a pathological desire to increase muscle mass.
According to some studies, around 33% of male athletes are at increased risk of suffering from eating disorders or already suffer from them. Among those at risk of developing an eating disorder, 60% of young people prone to suffering from an eating disorder are considered perfectionists. Of these, 41% are between 16 and 21 years old.
Photo: istockphoto.com/FG Comercio
Perfectionism is associated with many mental illnesses, including an increased risk of eating disorders and complicating the recovery process. These people often have very strict control over their diet and strive for an ideal figure. Such an aspiration may give a feeling of pride and success. However, in reality, this is a major obstacle to recovery.
Read also:
How do you know if you have an eating disorder? 8 symptoms
To overcome the influence of perfectionism in eating disorders, it is very important to work on both changing behavior and changing mindset. It is very important to expand the importance of other areas of a person’s life. It will also be useful to develop, accept and recognize some flexible and realistic approaches to nutrition, i.e. rather shift the focus from ideal to normal nutrition.
At the same time, among people at risk of developing an eating disorder, the following are considered very sensitive people (they worry more and for longer than others):
43% of men prone to eating disorders, ages 16 to 21; 15% of men prone to eating disorders, ages 22 to 27;
psychologist, specialist in eating disorders, expert in “Psychedemia”
People with high emotional sensitivity are more susceptible to criticism, which is why they make unrealistic demands. This contributes to the development of an eating disorder.
In the absence of a balanced diet, eating as a way to regulate emotions can lead to overeating and overcompensating very frequently (exhausting workouts, diets, the use of various drugs) just to avoid feeling shame and guilt.
Photo: istockphoto.com/FG Comercio
To learn to live with high sensitivity, it is necessary to master emotional regulation skills. To do this, you must contact specialists.
Physical and psychological health factor.
The development of eating disorders is also influenced by various chronic diseases, for example diabetes, allergies and autoimmune diseases. Among the risk group, 20.8% of men have diagnosed physical illnesses and 12.4% of men suffer from mental illnesses. 27% of men at risk suspect the presence of illnesses.
Irina Ushkova
clinical psychologist, scientific director of eating disorders psychotherapy at Psicodemia
The development of eating disorders against the background of chronic diseases is associated with a subjective, illusory sense of control, the lack of which is experienced by a person with the disease, and as a result of such control, food begins to control the person, and not vice versa. In addition, for many chronic diseases, doctors recommend limiting the diet, and dietary restrictions, in turn, provoke the development of eating disorders.
Additionally, illnesses may be associated with weight changes. Weight loss as a result of illness can lead to a desire to maintain the new weight, and weight gain can lead to attempts to lose weight. All of this develops the person’s fixation on body weight, the main marker of the eating disorder. Therefore, when treating a chronic illness, it is recommended to take care not only of physical health but also of mental health.
Photo: istockphoto.com/DMP
Sleep problems can also trigger the development of an eating disorder. 43% of men at risk are dissatisfied with their quality of sleep. The largest number (40%) is in the 16-27 age group. At the same time, 27% of the risk group report very low mood and energy levels, 48% consider them average, and 14% have frequently changing mood and energy levels.
Only 11% of men and 10% of women at risk rate their mood and energy as consistently good.
In fact, sleep is related to eating disorders and the relationship varies for each specific situation. However, there are several points that need to be known in order to reduce the influence of this factor in the development of eating disorders:
Firstly, lack of sleep increases overeating, because a person does not get enough sleep, he does not have enough energy, and in order to replenish it and get through the day, he needs to find a source of energy. The most accessible is food; secondly, limiting food during the day affects the quality of night rest. When a person skips breakfast, has a snack at lunch and has a large dinner, he cannot fall asleep. In the morning he wakes up exhausted, does not want to eat, and the day repeats itself.
Also read:
“You lose your temper and start eating everything.” A personal story about fighting food addiction.
With dietary restrictions, a temporary increase in energy occurs: there is a lot of it, you don’t want to sleep, a person may only need four to five hours of sleep and at the same time he feels cheerful. However, this is a warning signal, because in this way the body signals that there is not enough food. He says, “Now I give you strength to go and find food for us.”
If food does not appear or remains insufficient, the body activates energy saving mode. Strong drowsiness and weakness appear, because staying awake and conquering the peaks is not as important as saving your life.
Consequences of eating disorders in men
The structure of the eating disorder itself has no gender differences as such: there is a core of the disorder: an overvaluation of weight and body shape or an excessive concern about weight, as well as other accompanying symptoms. In general, there are more differences between two people who have an eating disorder, for example between two girls with an eating disorder, than between a man and a woman with an eating disorder.
Photo: istockphoto.com/Zinkevych
Eating disorders have disastrous consequences for the body: problems with the heart and blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), the esophagus, teeth, fragile bones and hormonal imbalances, depression, anxiety disorders and social phobia.
Insufficient nutrition can cause a decrease in testosterone levels and affect erections. Eating disorders in adolescents also inhibit normal development and can cause the child to not grow as he would if there were no dietary restrictions.
Experts recommend starting recovery by contacting a specialist. If we talk about independent work, you must first establish sleep and diet, for example, according to the nutrition plan of Marsha Herrin, creator of the program for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The point is that a person’s daily diet should include three full meals, one or three snacks, and always “food for joy.”
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