25-40% of people with eating disorders are males

- 25-40% of people with eating disorders are males (Hudson, 2007).
- As many men as women want to change their weight (Andersen, 2000).
- Men engage in eating-disordered behaviors nearly as often as women (Mond, 2013).
- Eating disorders assessment tests underscore males (Darcy, 2014).
- Additionally, prevalence of eating disorders in males is greater than estimated because men are often too stigmatized to seek treatment for “women’s problems.” (Cohn, 2013)
- Despite popular beliefs, eating disorders have never been “women’s diseases,” and professionals in the field are realizing this fact more and more (Cohn, 2014).
- The earliest case descriptions of anorexia nervosa by Richard Morton in 1690 included cases of a man and a woman (Andersen, 2014).
- Media objectification and sexualization of males is just as rampant as for females (Cohn, 2013).
- A high percentage of comorbid conditions exist for males in treatment, such as excessive exercise, poor body image, and issues with sexuality (Weltzin, 2014)
- Attention to gender dynamics is critical in the process of treatment (Bunnell, 2014).