Common Eating Disorders in Men

Get the facts about the types of eating disorders that affect men

Contrary to a common misperception, women and girls are not the only people who are at risk for developing eating disorders. This section contains information about several common types of eating disorders that affect men:

Anorexia nervosa: Men who have this form of eating disorder take extreme measures to avoid weight gain. Weight-related fears can prompt males who have this type of eating disorder to follow a dangerously restrictive diet. Men who have anorexia may feel compelled to use laxatives or diuretics. They may also feel an overwhelming urge to exercise excessively.

Unfortunately, no matter how much weight they lose, men who have this type of eating disorder will still see themselves as fat, and will feel forced to engage in dangerous weight-loss behaviors. This form of disordered eating can put men in danger of experiencing a wide range of negative outcomes. No form of mental illness has a higher mortality rate than anorexia.

Bulimia nervosa: Men who develop this type of eating disorder will engage in two types of behaviors: bingeing and purging. During a binge, the man will eat excessively, often rapidly. He will often consume much more than he had intended, and may feel powerless to stop. After the binge, he will attempt to prevent weight gain by purging.

Purges are also sometimes referred to as compensatory behaviors. Common examples of purging are forcing oneself to vomit, using laxatives or diuretics, and exercising excessively. Both the binges and the purges can cause significant physical and emotional distress in men who have this form of eating disorder.

Binge-eating disorder: Men who struggle with this type of eating disorder will find it difficult to control how much or how quickly they eat. Men with binge-eating disorder will feel compelled to rapidly consume large quantities of food over small periods of time. Once they start eating, they will be incapable of stopping, even after they feel full.

However, unlike with other types of eating disorders, these periods of overeating are not followed by purges or other compensatory behaviors. Men who have binge-eating disorder often feel significant shame and guilt in the aftermath of their eating episodes. This can cause them to refuse to eat in the presence of others or otherwise isolate themselves.

Orthorexia: This form of eating disorder is characterized by an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. It is not found in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, many experts understand that men who struggle with the condition can experience considerable distress and may benefit from effective professional care.

Men who develop this type of eating disorder may first start to limit their diet in an attempt to live a healthier life. However, men who have orthorexia will fixate on calorie consumption, spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about food, and begin to eliminate more and more types of food from their diet. What begins as an honest effort to improve health can turn into dangerous behaviors that can cause considerable physical and emotional harm.

Body dysmorphic disorder: This is not an eating disorder, but men who struggle with this condition may begin to adopt disordered eating habits. This condition causes men to have a distorted self-image and experience considerable distress regarding the size and shape of their body.

Body dysmorphic disorder can cause a man to severely restrict his diet, engage in purging behaviors, exercise excessively, and otherwise put his continued health at risk. Men who have this condition are at increased risk for also developing an eating disorder.