Eating Disorders: A Male Perspective.

Eating Disorders can impact anyone: Male, Female, Old, Young. They DO NOT discriminate.

It’s been a long-standing myth that eating disorders are strictly a female issue. With more than half of all eating disorder sufferers being female, it’s no surprise that most people see these awful disorders as affecting only women. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In recent years more and more men (or those who identify as such) have begun to speak out about their own problems with body image, food, and weight.

In the last few years both Sam Smith and Dr.Who actor, Christopher Eccleston, have spoken out about their struggles in regard to poor body image and life-altering eating disorders. They are among

It’s no surprise that famous actors and musicians find themselves struggling with body image, no matter their gender identity. The media is notoriously ruthless when it comes to the perfect size and shape of all humans, not just females, and so it’s only natural that males will become swept away by it all too.

But body issues and eating disorders aren’t reserved for the rich and famous.

“Studies suggest that up to a quarter of sufferers are male. But the stigma around eating disorders, and around male sufferers, means that we can’t say for certain – many men may go undiagnosed. What is certain is that if you’re male and worried about yourself, you’re not alone. There are many men who share your experience.”

BEAT Eating Disorders.

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Eating Disorders Aren’t Discriminatory Against Gender: Discussing a male perspective.

By Johnny March

There are 3 million documented cases of depression every year within the United States (1). This figure doesn’t include the number of people who’ve been previously diagnosed.

I’m a twenty-eight-year-old male of Hispanic and Caucasian descent and am among the millions of people struggling with mental illness. For me personally, suffering from Major Depressive Disorder has taken quite a toll on my mental health and wellbeing. Incidentally, I’ve also fell victim to co-occurring disorders due to a combination of chemical imbalances and genetic circumstances. I’m also a survivor of Substance Use Disorder, though I battled this insidious disease for far too many years. It’s hard to be precise, but a rough estimate of when my addiction began to bedevil me was when I reached the age of thirteen.

“I’ve been in sobriety for coming up on a year, yet this doesn’t mean that I’ve not switched out addictions.”

After choosing to abstain from heroin with the assistance of a local detoxification facility, I decided to go onto Suboxone Maintenance, in conjunction with my psychiatric medications. Frankly, it’s saved my life. The mere act of being prescribed maintenance meds is not sufficient in itself to remain removed entirely from opiates. There’s other footwork needed in order to ultimately better ourselves. Some people prefer twelve-step meetings, whereas others prefer to occupy their time with activities to aid in alleviating cravings. I’ve become passionate about yoga, reading, and working a legitimate job. The phrase, “move a muscle, change a thought,” has averted quite a few relapses for me.

Battling Addiction.

Over a year ago, I admitted myself into a long-term drug rehabilitation center for what felt like the hundredth time. This was my desperate attempt to prevent the possibility of using drugs again. At that moment, I couldn’t be certain that I would stick to my devised plan of incorporating self-help meetings and a 9 to 5 job into my newfound life. So, I used better judgment instead of becoming overwhelmed by racing thoughts and went to the aforementioned long-term rehab residence. During my stay, I became a different form of “junkie.”

“Instead of opiates, I came to be an exercise addict.”

The problem with exercise addiction is that it releases endorphins and dopamine, both of which tie to the same neurotransmitters as drug use (2). These “feel-good” chemicals produced a similar feeling of euphoria, comparable to opioids. I relished catching a buzz off of something deemed so healthy, yet this was simply compensating one compulsive behaviour for another.

Substance abuse taught me to be stealth, making it relatively easy to sneak a cell phone in. From there I initiated conversation with a woman named Megan, a childhood friend. We began to speak quite frequently, and before I knew it, I was head over heels for her.

“I refused to allow love to become an addiction. Unconditional love is what I longed for.”

Megan and I had our first date at a pizzeria during an allotted visit. There, she informed me of how she suffers from Anorexia Nervosa. Being relatively uninformed in regards to eating disorders, I hadn’t realized how serious and habit-forming they can be. That is until I subsequently became afflicted with an eating disorder myself.

Before becoming OFSED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder), I learned about calorie-counting and controlled eating. I only preoccupied myself with foods high in protein and specific types of fats. My daily caloric intake, in the midst of the excessive workout spree I embarked on in rehab, was more than I needed to maintain my weight. Truthfully, the thought of a low-calorie diet never crossed my mind until after being discharged from rehab. I was determined to eat and work out enough to bulk up, not to slim down. Unfortunately, I developed a degree of body dysmorphia and inevitably it got the better of me.

I thought I was fond of my muscular physique, yet somehow I looked in the mirror and I felt a strong desire to be thin. Quickly I found myself sinking into a depression with no apparent expiration date. So like my lover, I set on a journey to restrict my own calories. Bingo, I’d swapped addictions once again.

“Not only did this feeling of self-control satiate the void inside of me, but it also gave me a sense of accomplishment each time the scale showed my weight drop.”

However, Megan was on to my caloric decrease more hastily than a squirrel spotting a nut. She was unable to comprehend why I wasn’t eating a sufficient amount, the amount deemed crucial for survival. Instead of fighting, I told her the truth when questioned. I explained how I’d observed (and eventually mimicked) her anorexic behaviors and “tricks,” bringing about my commitment to follow suit. Granted, she advised against it but I’ve always been one who needs to learn from my own mistakes.

My weight began to dwindle as did my formally healthy BMI. In the beginning, the self-restraint these actions required provided me comfort, eventually, they would bring me nothing but despair.

I can recall when I was once trained in MMA and thought that I looked great. Currently, my body shape is significantly different. When Megan told me out of concern that I was becoming too skinny too quickly, I couldn’t believe it. I thought I’d only been in a state of severe depression, which often leads to a suppressed appetite. But I’d deceived myself, and there was no doubt that I was suffering from OFSED. I was restricting for days and was exhibiting several symptoms including dizziness, constant hunger and fatigue.

“Finally I decided that enough was enough!”

I picked myself up, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and gradually increased my intake to prevent the risk of refeeding syndrome. In a bid to regulate my moods, I began to practice yoga and meditation regularly. I also fitted a pull-up bar to an internal doorway, and take advantage of this routinely. From then I made a promise to myself: My mental health and eating habits were to be my highest priority going forward.

I’ve since done some heavy research into the world of eating disorders. It was frightening for me to believe that it takes the most lives every year, more so than any other psychiatric illness. It’s thought that every sixty-two minutes someone dies as a result of intentional malnourishment, and over thirty billion of the US population are through to suffer from some sort of eating disorder.

There needs to be more awareness brought to eating disorders and their deadly impact. I don’t feel as if eating disorder awareness is as publicized as it should be. I’m only one of many people who have undergone this burden, and I’ve planned to take action against mine.

As a male, I wish I had the body figure of some of these athletic and ripped-up actors, but at what cost? I almost became a statistic from one disease due to five overdoses, and I refuse to be a statistic from a different disorder.

“My name is John Marchese and I’m an addict. I can proudly say I’m currently in recovery from OFSED, and I hope that anyone who can identify with my story has gained the inspiration and motivation they need to recover.”

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If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, no matter whether you’re male or female, please visit BEAT for help and advice.

BEAT are the UK’s Eating Disorder Charity. They deal with various eating disorders in male, female or non-binary, and can help point you in the right direction.

There are also various other charities available worldwide to help advise and support you through treatment. You can find a full list of these here.