Eating disorders are gender neutral, although they have been routinely characterized as a women’s issue. There are many factors that lead to males to be under- and undiagnosed for eating disorders, including the social stigma of males seeking psychological help. Correcting these false impressions is vital to removing the stigma surrounding gender and eating disorders. By de-stigmatizing eating disorders, everyone will get better access to diagnosis and treatment.
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References
1 Zhao, Y., Encinosa, W. Update on Hospitalizations for Eating Disorders, 1999 to 2009. HCUP Statistical Brief #120. September, 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb120.pdf2 Hudson, J., Hiripi, E., Pope, H., & Kessler, R. (2007) “The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication.” Biological Psychiatry, 61, 348–358.
3 Allen, K., Byme, S., Oddy, W., & Crosby, R. (2013) “DSM-IV-TR and DSM5 eating disorders in adolescents: prevalence, stability, and psychosocial correlates in a population-based sample of male and female adolescents.” Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122, 720-732. Atlantic Magazine blog, “Body-image pressure increasing affects boys.” March 10, 2014.
4 Eisenberg, D., Nicklett, E., Roeder, K., & Kirz, N. (2011) “Eating disorders Symptoms Among College Students: Prevalence, Persistence, Correlates, and Treatment-Seeking.” Journal of American College Health, 59-8, 700-707.
5 Feldman, M., Meyer, I. (2007) “Eating disorders in diverse, lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations.” International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40-3, 218-226.
6 Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Slewa-Younan, S., & Mond, J. (2014). The changing demographic profile of eating disorder behaviors in the community. BMC Public Health, 14(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-943
7 Raevuoni, A., Keski-Rahkonen, Hoek, H. (2014) “A review of eating disorders in males.” Current Opinions on Psychiatry, 27-6, 426-430. Sabel, A., Rosen, E., & Mehler, P. (2014) “Severe anorexia nervosa in males: clinical presentations and medical treatment.” Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 22-3, 209-220.
8 Weltzin, T. Carlson, T., et al. (2014) “Treatment Issues and Outcomes for Males with Eating Disorders” in Cohn, Lemberg.
9 Bunnell, D. & Maine, M. (2014) “Understanding and treating males with eating disorders” in Cohn, Lemberg.