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Body Image & Eating disorders amongst males

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Body Image & Eating disorders amongst males

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This is an academic article highlighting the body image concerns amongst adolescent males. This is a credible source.

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This is a psychology review on eating disorders in males, it highlights that eating disorders in males are systematically overlooked. This is a credible source.

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Body Image issues in Australian male weightlifters

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Body Image issues in Australian male weightlifters

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This academic article touches on the increase of muscle dysmorphia, body dysmorphia and eating disorders amongst Australian male weightlifters. This is a credible source

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Body Image issues in australian weightlifters.pdf

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This is casework of a psychologists male client suffering from body image issues. This is a credible source but could be considered outdated as it's over 10 years old.

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Case study of man with body image issues.pdf

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This is an article from the Daily Mail about one woman's eating disorder story.

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This is an article from the Daily Mail about one woman's eating disorder story.

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The Daily Mail is a non-credible source and can often overgeneralise facts. What may be true for this individual may be different for another individual that suffers from an eating disorder.

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Rini Frey, 28, of Alberta, Canada, developed a fear of food after she went on her first diet at the age of 15

She even went so far as to isolate herself and only going to the gym and prep her food as of her hobbies

But after wedding in 2016, she realized that she didn't want to live a life of constant dieting

Rini hasn't weighed herself in a year and now cherishes every moment she has in the body she was given

She said: 'Life is too short to spend it measuring out chicken breast - there is so much out there to enjoy'

A woman, who battled eating disorders for 12 years that saw her shun social events to avoid eating, has finally stopped dieting and started enjoying her life.

Fitness instructor and eating disorder recovery coach, Rini Frey, 28, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, went on her first diet when she was 15 years old but it spiraled when she did a water and juice cleanse two years later.

Following the cleanse, Rini desperately tried to maintain her weight loss and developed a fear of food.

She said: 'My eating disorder started as an innocent diet that I found in some magazine when I was 15 years old. It didn't get too serious until I did a water and juice cleanse at age 17.'

'This morphed into full blown anorexia pretty fast as I was desperately trying to keep the weight off from doing the cleanse. It became way more about self control than it did about food. I feared food and what I thought it could do to my body.'

At the height of her suffering, Rini's only hobbies were the gym and prepping her food, she isolated herself and was diagnosed with bulimia but also suffered from anorexia, binge eating disorder and orthorexia, an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy.

Rini would train six times a week and would mostly only allow herself to eat six foods; - chicken breast, broccoli, green beans, egg whites, protein powder and oatmeal.

'I felt miserable. I can count the moments I felt truly happy in my early twenties on two hands. My mind was preoccupied with food, numbers and calories. All day I was calculating, trying to be perfect and not 'give in to temptations,' she said.

'I was completely isolated, had no social life or hobbies aside from the gym and my meal prep. I was anxious most of the time and my mood swings were out of control. I could start the day on a positive note only to be crying hysterically half an hour later. Looking back, I feel so sad for the life I used to live.'

At 100lbs and a size zero, Rini's turning point came just after her wedding in 2016 when she dieted the most she had ever dieted before and she decided she didn't want to live that life anymore.

And since then, she hasn't weighed herself for a year but estimates she weighs around 145lbs and is a size six or eight. But most importantly, she can enjoy spending time with her family and friends without worrying about her calorie intake.

She said: 'I hit rock bottom after my wedding in October 2016. I had dieted harder than ever for the wedding and just hit a point, where I realized that I can't take this anymore.'

'The obsession, the perfectionist mindset, cancelling plans with friends and loved ones for the fear of food. I wanted to be free and I was finally ready to do everything in my power to get there.'

Overcoming her eating disorders has changed everything for Rini but she has learned to love and embrace life and herself for who she is.

'I wouldn't say that my life is perfect now, it's the exact opposite. But life is supposed to be messy and I have embraced that,' she said.

'I am happily making plans with friends and family and I am able to be completely present with them, without spending a single second thinking about the food we may or may not eat and how I can find an excuse to not eat with them.'

'I am moving my body out of joy and gratitude instead of obsessively logging my workouts for certain aesthetic results. Moving is a huge part of my life but it is wonderful to just go with the flow and not make myself work out in the gym every day.'

Rini said that it's getting easier every day she's in recovery and that she accepting 'who I am and embracing myself as I am, instead of trying to fit into a mold of perfection. Life is good'.

And her lifestyle change has also positively impacted her husband as well.

'My husband still says that it's so nice to be able to just go traveling or go out to dinner without me having a mental breakdown if I couldn't eat my pre-cooked meals,' Rini said.

But getting to that point wasn't easy as Rini still had difficult letting go of control.

'Two things were very difficult for me - stopping to track my meals and introducing foods back into my diet that I hadn't eaten in years. It was terrifying to give up control around food and learn to listen to my body's hunger and fullness signals again. It was a long journey,' she said.

'Accepting the changes my body went through especially in the beginning. The body image part took me the longest to recover from and I believe I still have a little bit of a distorted body image but I know in my heart that I am enough just as I am.'

Rini now enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and testing out recipes that she denied herself of before and is keen to spread the message that you don't have to 'look sick' to be struggling with an eating disorder and shared her advice to others.

'The advice I would give is that you probably know in your heart that something is off, even if you are not ready to pursue recovery. Picture your life ten, twenty or even fifty years from now and visualize how far you can come,' she added.

'You will be able to look back at your life and see happy memories, time spent with loved ones, laughter and love, instead of looking back and seeing someone who was obsessed with food and their body for the better part of their lives.'

Rini encourages those struggling to reach out for help because everyone deserves support.

She said: 'Reach out. There is so much help around and even if you feel like you don't look sick enough - you deserve freedom and you deserve support.'

'It took me opening up to one single person, my husband, and it all snowballed from there. Now I can't shut up about it.'

'The message I want to convey is that life is too short to spend it measuring out chicken breast and vegetables and spending your days at the gym. There is so much out there to enjoy and we only get this one life.'

'Recovery has been the most difficult yet the most rewarding thing I have ever done for my own happiness.'

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Woman stops dieting after battling eating disorders for 12 years

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Rini Frey, 28, of Alberta, Canada, developed a fear of food after she went on her first diet at the age of 15 She even went so far as to isolate herself and only going to the gym and prep her food as of her hobbies But after wedding in

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An article from Cosmopolitan about eating disorders

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An article from Cosmopolitan about eating disorders

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Although this article does support the notion that men also do suffer from body image issues, this is a non-credible source. The article makes claims with no evidence supporting it.

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Restricting calories, vomiting after meals, occasionally bingeing and purging - it all made Meg Haston, then a college freshman, feel somewhat in control of her anxiety and depression. She knew she had an eating disorder, but it took an ultimatum from a therapist to get to in-patient therapy. She felt scared but also relieved. Then after treatment, she found out that her insurance provider refused to cover her 45-day stay, leaving her with a bill for $30,000. The reason why hit Haston, a truly sick person obsessed with being thin, where it hurt: They said her weight wasn't low enough to justify reimbursement.

"There is nothing more invalidating than being told you're not ill enough to merit care," says Haston, now 34. "One of the scripts I played in my head was, 'I'm not thin enough to go to treatment, not sick enough.' The insurance company confirmed this." Had she been "thin enough," she might have been near death.

Haston's story illustrates a sad reality faced by eating-disorder sufferers: It's really hard for them to get the help they need. Even some experts don't believe they need it unless they're shockingly thin. Too many health-care professionals aren't properly trained to spot an ED. And mental illnesses are often trivialized, especially those that disproportionately affect women. "People are easily dismissed," says Johanna S. Kandel, the founder and executive director of the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness. "There's so much shame and stigma."

Why is something so common treated with so much disdain? One in 11 Americans will develop an eating disorder, per the National Eating Disorders Association. And they're not all starving themselves.

Eating disorders aren't necessarily about weight or even food. They're bio-psychosocial disorders, with roots in genetics, emotions, behaviors, and social, environmental, or cultural factors. EDs often go hand in hand with other mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety, and OCD. Pressures to have a perfect body aren't the sole trigger - abuse, trauma, and appearance-related teasing also raise risk. As does family history: Up to 80 percent of your risk for developing one is due to genetic factors.

With any other disease that is innate or, at the least, involuntary, wouldn't we try to make life easier, not harder?

"The majority of people with eating disorders may not be emaciated. Most are normal or overweight," Kandel says. In fact, binge-eating disorder - whose sufferers don't generally lose weight - is more common than anorexia nervosa (self-induced starvation) and bulimia nervosa (bingeing and purging) combined. "It's not how people think of eating disorders. They don't think non-thin sufferers need professional help."

Insurance policies seem to reflect these misperceptions. Treatment may not be covered if you aren't deathly ill (so sick that you've had a cardiac event, for example). Creepier still, you could be denied coverage if you aren't dangerously thin, often designated as less than 85 percent of healthy weight for your height.

There is nothing more invalidating than being told you're not ill enough to merit care.

But even if a woman is emaciated, simply focusing on the number on the scale misses the point. In dire cases, the first step of treatment - before a psychological regimen can start - is to get the patient to a healthy size so she can survive. Cutting off coverage before counseling begins means she has gained weight (likely a scary prospect for her) but has made little, if any, progress toward truly healing. Physical diseases typically have clear benchmarks that indicate a patient is well, but mental illnesses don't have black-and-white distinctions. Just because a person weighs a certain amount doesn't mean she's better, experts say.

"If you had cancer, your doctor would treat you until every speck of cancer is gone," says Lisa S. Kantor, partner at Kantor & Kantor, a law firm in Northridge, California, that focuses on claims against insurers. "With eating disorders, insurance companies have an attitude that they can get you 75 percent there, then send you home. If you don't do well, you go back. Of course, you won't do well if you haven't eradicated as many symptoms as possible."

Cosmopolitan contacted several health-insurance companies for comment and was directed to America's Health Insurance Plans, an association that represents insurance companies. "Health plans coordinate with providers, specialists, and families to develop care plans that address the individual needs and circumstances of each patient and are aligned with medical evidence around safety and effectiveness," Clare Krusing, a spokeswoman for the association, replied via email. "If there is a lack of agreement, clinicians and patients have the right to appeal - a patient right that our industry has long supported." Krusing's statement didn't specifically address the 85 percent practice.

There's a dark side to that appeals process. "People die from eating disorders. A lot of coverage denials don't get to litigation," says Alicia Paulino-Grisham, an attorney in Florida who represents eating-disorder and cancer patients against insurance companies. "They're either too sick to challenge it or there's a good chance they'll pass away beforehand."

By the time Michelle Z., 22, of Deerfield, Illinois, got to college, she'd been dealing with undiagnosed anorexia for years, skipping meals and obsessing over her size. She confided in a friend, who encouraged her to seek treatment. She made an appointment with a doctor at the university health center. According to the physician's online listing, Michelle says, she was an eating-disorder specialist.

Michelle told the doctor about her issues: restricting food, overexercising, and struggling emotionally. "She responded, 'You don't look like you have an eating disorder,' because I wasn't underweight," Michelle recalls. "I remember thinking that must mean there's nothing wrong with my behavior. Her nonchalance disempowered me and gave power to the disorder."

The nurse whispered, 'How do you stay so skinny? I wish I knew your secret.'

Even when a patient does look like the stereotype of a rail-thin anorexic, society's glorification of thinness can get in the way of treatment, notes Bernice Pescosolido, PhD, director of the Indiana Consortium for Mental Health Services Research. "Given how much we admire thin people, it's hard to comprehend when someone is in trouble," she says. Haston describes going to the doctor for a physical at a point when she was at her lowest weight. As she was being weighed, the nurse whispered, "How do you stay so skinny? I wish I knew your secret." Says Haston, "My secret was that I was ill."

Many med schools don't provide doctors-to-be with the proper training in recognizing and treating eating disorders, adds Edward P. Tyson, MD, a physician in Austin who specializes in EDs. "You have to seek out practitioners who themselves have sought out specific training. Medical schools spend very little time on the subject ... and usually, they get it wrong," he says. But specialists and treatment centers are in rare supply. Eight states have just one ED treatment center. Twelve have none at all. Such specialized care is key, says Claire Mysko, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association. "Hospitals can treat the physical issues and some of the psychiatric ones, but an eating disorder is a complex illness. Patients are best served by seeing doctors, psychologists, and nutritional counselors with clinical experience in this field."

While men do get eating disorders, it's still widely thought of as a women's issue.

The Association of American Medical Colleges, which represents all accredited U.S. medical schools and nearly 400 teaching hospitals, counters that eating-disorder info is disseminated in most med schools. "Of those institutions that participate in the AAMC's curriculum inventory, 74 percent reported covering eating disorders," says John Prescott, MD, AAMC's chief academic officer.

Still, Dr. Tyson believes that some doctors just aren't comfortable with eating disorders - and sexism may play a role. While men do get eating disorders, it's still widely thought of as a women's issue. "If men had 90 percent of the eating disorders," Dr. Tyson says, "I suspect we would have a lot more research, advocacy, and awareness."

Meg Haston and Michelle eventually got treatment - in Michelle's case, largely thanks to friends. That makes her lucky in a way - some sufferers experience outright repudiation. Greta W., now 24, from Boston, claims she was fired from her on-campus job and asked to leave school because of her ED. She confided in a friend about having an ED and suicidal thoughts, and the friend went to authorities, presumably to get help. Her school forcibly removed her from campus in an ambulance, then put her under around-the-clock watch once she was allowed to return. It all made Greta feel "like a criminal ... for a crime I didn't commit."

Getting kicked out of school sounds extreme, but it happens, says Paulino-Grisham: "Colleges don't want students to die at their institution." Most schools don't even have a policy for dealing with ED, says Jessica Setnick, RD, author of the forthcoming book Managing Eating Disorders on Campus. "It should be a buzzword, like hazing or binge drinking," she says. "Every college should have a task force, with this many counselors and dietitians for this many students."

An ED sufferer might not say anything for fear of ramifications.

Employers might not handle things any better. Even well-intentioned wellness programs may be triggering, says Mysko: "They often put an emphasis on obesity and weight loss. Instead, programs should address health in a holistic way." Including eating disorders in employee-assistance programs (for example, offering screening tools) is one strategy for reducing stigma and delays in treatment. As it stands, Kandel says, "an ED sufferer might not say anything for fear of ramifications."

If someone confides in you, acknowledge how difficult it must be to open up, suggests Kandel, but let her know that her health is more important than any job. Direct her to her company's EAP or myNEDA.org, and offer to go with her to speak with a supervisor or HR rep.

Eating disorders are intense and scary. Anorexia alone kills more people than any other mental illness does. But while the stakes are high, with the right treatment, they are curable. Says Kandel, "We need greater awareness of what eating disorders look like, what causes them, and that people can recover." That is, if we help them.

This article was originally published as "HELP" in the November 2016 issue of Cosmopolitan. Click here to subscribe to the digital edition.

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Why Is It So Hard to Treat Eating Disorders?

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Restricting calories, vomiting after meals, occasionally bingeing and purging - it all made Meg Haston, then a college freshman, feel somewhat in control of her anxiety and depression. She knew she had an eating disorder, but it took an ultimatum from a therapist to get to in-patient therapy.

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Eating Disorders in Asian and Caucasian girls

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Eating Disorders in Asian and Caucasian girls

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This academic article indentifies that in a study of both Asian and Caucasian adolescent girls; the Asian girls were found to have a higher percentage of unhealthy thinking in regards to body image. This is a credible source.

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Eating Disorders - Creditable _ Plausible 

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Eating Disorders - Creditable _ Plausible 

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Article states that Eating disorders are an important cause of physical and psychosocial morbidity in adolescent girls and young adult women. They are much less frequent in men.

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Updated May 04, 2017 13:56:45

These women are united in grief in a way few others can understand - each lost a loved one to suicide, brought on by an eating disorder.

The pain is particularly raw for Fiona Ryan, from Victoria.

Her daughter Tess was diagnosed with anorexia at age 11 and last year died aged 16.

"I don't think anybody can understand it unless you've been there with it," she told the ABC.

"It's such an intense experience and something that even when you share it with other people they don't know, they can't get it."

According to researchers, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality of all mental illnesses.

One in five patients with the condition will die by suicide.

All the families had one thing in common - they all struggled to get doctors to take their concerns seriously.

Annette Baker's daughter Mary battled anorexia from the age of 12, until the illness led to her suicide three years later.

Annette and her husband Stuart fought to get medical help for her daughter.

"The first doctor said to me to 'give her a Coke and a milkshake and she'll be fine with a vitamin pill'," Ms Baker said.

"The second one was a paediatrician who insisted that she had a virus. He suggested she go back to school and start exercising when she was clearly at her sickest."

Doctors never told the family there was a risk of suicide.

"The first we knew about suicide was when Mary took her life, so maybe we were remiss and maybe should have done some more reading or something else, but we weren't certainly on watch or aware and there was no warning at all," she said.

Government pledges to improve services for patients

After the ABC raised concerns over the treatment of eating disorders with Health Minister Greg Hunt, he said he would take action.

"We have to do more for mental health, but specifically for anorexia, which has been such a tragic condition and so it has been, to a degree, overlooked and it's time to put the spotlight firmly on eating disorders," he said.

He has asked the Medicare review committee to look at the opportunities for further assistance to patients.

"It will look at whether new approaches should be made available under Medicare specifically for eating disorders, and particularly for anorexia," he said.

Mr Hunt will also include eating disorders in the fifth mental health plan.

"I think it's very important that we recognise and give due focus to the sheer pain that individuals and families suffer," he said.

"Eating disorders have a tragically high rate of loss of life, and it can affect families for years and years," he said.

According to the National Eating Disorders Coalition, about one in 20 Australians has an eating disorder and the rate in the Australian population is increasing.

Este Darin-Cooper's sister Raia was diagnosed with anorexia when she was 11.

She died by suicide in 2006 when she was 25.

"I thought by now things would have changed. We always put it down to the fact that the illness was quite new in society, people didn't understand it," she said.

"But to look now and think things haven't changed, and haven't moved on at all is just astounding."

Fragmented care, suicidal pleas ignored

All the families said the teens were bounced in and out of hospitals as their weight went up and down.

But none were offered holistic care to treat their physical and mental illness.

Fiona Ryan said at one Melbourne hospital, she was made to feel like she was responsible for her daughter's condition.

"One psychiatrist was giving us advice about what we should do and I said I didn't know if I could do this, hold Tess down and put the food in her mouth without hurting her," she said.

"He said I needed to go into therapy so I could find out why it was that I couldn't save my daughter's life."

"That stayed with me for a long time," she said.

Fiona was told Tess could not get her mental health issues addressed until her weight had increased.

At one point, Fiona was so worried about her daughter's mental health, she waited for 35 hours in an emergency department until Tess was admitted.

"The health system should have been there to help her to get better," she said.

"But the system itself doesn't cater for the fact that these young people have needs that are not just medical, they're not just psychological.

"They need to be looked at as a whole person, and that's not the way that our health system is set up."

The Butterfly Foundation is the peak body for patients with eating disorders.

Its chief executive, Christine Morgan, said too many families were seeking help after losing a loved one to an eating disorder.

"We have families coming to us because they've lost a loved one because of the physical ravages of the illnesses. That's horrific," she said.

"But we're also having families coming to Butterfly who's person has committed suicide and they're saying, 'we didn't even realise suicide was a risk for somebody with an eating disorder'."

Fiona Ryan, whose daughter Tess died by suicide added: "I think there are so many people with eating disorders and the statistics are so bad about it that we have to do something, and we can do something. But we've got to make it a priority."

Solutions exist, say health experts

Patients with eating disorders are not receiving the proper amount of therapy that could help them recover, according to one of Australia's leading eating disorder experts.

Monash University's Dr Richard Newton said for patients with anorexia nervosa, the best, simplest and most cost-effective treatment is cognitive behaviour therapy.

"It requires 20 sessions of treatment to be effective, at the bare minimum, but the maximum number of sessions of treatment somebody can access under Medicare is 10," he said.

"So there is a massive under-dosing of treatment available to people with eating disorders from Medicare in a way that I think is really concerning."

Dr Newton said GPs needed more training to better identify and treat patients with eating disorders.

"The vast majority of people who present to their GP with an eating disorder run the risk of being misdiagnosed, being provided with unhelpful feedback or reassurance that they don't really have a problem when they very manifestly have many problems that are severe and life-threatening," he said.

There are some private hospitals and clinics treating patients with eating disorders, but these services are only available to those families who can afford it.

Of the families the ABC spoke to, those who had been in the private health system had mixed experiences.

Patchy hospital services across Australia

The Butterfly Foundation is calling on the Federal Government to identify eating disorders as a core part of all mental health and suicide-prevention services.

"We must ensure the primary health networks have as a mandate to include eating disorders as core business and we must ensure that we've got a workforce across health and allied health that knows how to identify and treat eating disorders," Ms Morgan said.

"Our dedicated telephone counselling service should be provided 24/7 to make sure that we can reach all Australians that need it."

Despite increased awareness of eating disorders, hospital services across the country are patchy.

"The ones faring most poorly are those that don't have what we call any eating-disorder-specific beds," Ms Morgan said.

"They would be the ACT, Tasmania, the Northern Territory. In Western Australia, whilst they have beds for children and adolescents, they have no eating-disorder-specific beds for adults."

The families hope by speaking out, the lives of other patients with eating disorder will be saved.

"I hope that when it's several years down the track, when I am like Annette Baker, I won't meet another me, and it will be better for families," Fiona Ryan said.

"We know that people with an eating disorder have high risk of suicide and we need to take that seriously. And we need to make sure that they're getting support for their mental health."

Annette and Stuart Baker have created an annual winter solstice event in regional NSW to honour their daughter and to allow people to feel comfortable and talk openly about suicide and other mental health issues.

Topics: health, eating-disorders, doctors-and-medical-professionals, federal-government, suicide, australia

First posted May 04, 2017 06:00:39

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Australia's health system 'failing' patients with eating disorders

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Raia Darin-Cooper fought anorexia for 14 years before she ended her own life at just 25 years old. Her family - and the families of several others whose eating disorders led to their suicides - says it's time for a shake-up of the health system.

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Media Linked to Increase of Eating Disorders - Non Creditable Source

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Media Linked to Increase of Eating Disorders - Non Creditable Source

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This news segment places the blame of eating disorder increases on social media. The main images are of young white females. Does not discuss issues relating to other populations.

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Channel 10 - Social media link to increasing eating disorders in kids

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This video focuses on different types of eating disorders and the varied factors behind it. Also addresses that other groups of people suffer from eating disorders. Though non-creditable source focuses on science and evidence based theories.

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Many of us are lucky enough to live in a world where food is easily accessible. We no longer have to hunt wild animals or scrounge for edible plants to survive. However, in spite of (or likely because of) this luxury, millions of people suffer from eating disorders.

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EDNOS - Most Dangerous Unheard of Eating Disorders. Non-creditable source - US Media. 

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EDNOS - Most Dangerous Unheard of Eating Disorders. Non-creditable source - US Media. 

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US media article - focuses on young women. Though not all white,

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EDNOS: Most Dangerous, Unheard of Eating Disorder | Nightline | ABC News

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Inside the secret lives of millions of American women quietly battling every bite. SUBSCRIBE for the latest news and updates from ABC News ► http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=abcnews To read the full story and others, visit http://www.abcnews.com Watch more news stories from ABC News!

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Documentary about Eating Disorders In Males. Non-creditable. 

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Documentary about Eating Disorders In Males. Non-creditable. 

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This documentary follows a group of males in the UK discussing their eating disorders.

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My Battle with Anorexia - Non Creditable 

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My Battle with Anorexia - Non Creditable 

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Ted Talk Dave Chawner discusses his own experience and opens the conversation in relation to different groups who suffer from eating disorders.

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My Battle With Anorexia | Dave Chawner | TEDxClapham

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Using comedy as a tool to remove the stigma surrounding eating disorders Dave uses comedy to engage audiences and explain his battle with anorexia. He talks about his tour 'Over It' and experiences of talking publicly about his struggle.

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US Media - Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders - Non-creditable

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US Media - Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders - Non-creditable

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US media discuss what the 'common' signs and symptoms.

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Thinspiration - Eating Disorders and Social Media. 

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Thinspiration - Eating Disorders and Social Media. 

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Moral Panic. Blaming social media and increase of young women increasing eating disorders.

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Thinspiration: Eating Disorders And Social Media

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Fold Devils and Moral Pans: The Creation of Mods and Rockers

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Fold Devils and Moral Pans: The Creation of Mods and Rockers

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Creditable source discussing the creation of Moral Panics by society and media.

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ECU/reader.action?docID=684015&query=

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Youth and Society: Chapter 10 - Juvenile Justice, and Violence and Crime. 

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Youth and Society: Chapter 10 - Juvenile Justice, and Violence and Crime. 

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Under section of Moral Panics and Social Problems discuss current examples and impacts of moral panics in Australia.

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Moral Panic and the Politics of Anxiety - creditable source

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Moral Panic and the Politics of Anxiety - creditable source

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This book helps to demonstrate the theory of moral panic, and how many issues social issues are responded to with irrational reactions. Sometimes based on the societies 'morals' and is a punitive approach to the issue, and can lack evidence or unbiased approaches. This book helps to support busting the myth relating to eating disorders.

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Who is Effected by Eating Disorders - Non-creditable source - busting

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Who is Effected by Eating Disorders - Non-creditable source - busting

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This is an non-creditable source. A website for people who are seeking support with eating disorders., This website informs people that a wide range of people suffer from eating disorders.

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Eating disorders can affect people of any age, race, gender or sexual orientation. They are often diagnosed in teenagers and young adults, but many people are first diagnosed with an eating disorder in later adulthood. Sometimes the first signs and symptoms develop at a much younger age.

"I am currently 25 years old and I have had issues with my weight and my self-esteem since junior high. I was your typical, awkward preteen. Chubby, braces, glasses, acne and a sweet, yet painfully shy, personality. I was self-conscious about everything, including my weight." ~Sara

Many changes occur in our bodies during adolescence. These changes can be very difficult for some youth. Sometimes, those who are dissatisfied with their bodies will turn to disordered eating. However, there are many risk factors for eating disorders, and not everyone who is unhappy with their body will develop an eating disorder.

Some types of eating disorders are more common in women and girls than in men and boys. However, eating disorders affect people of all genders. Transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse youth report higher rates of eating disorder symptoms than cisgender youth (those whose gender aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth).

Men, boys and gender diverse individuals may experience more barriers to accessing support for eating disorders, and may be less likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. It may be hard for people who are experiencing eating disorder symptoms to talk about their behavior. Sometimes people worry about what others will think about them. Some people may be worried about untrue stereotypes that exist about eating disorders. These fears may make it harder for people to get the help they need. Some people may also be worried about what it would be like to start making changes to their eating.

The information we get about eating disorders from television, magazines or social media is not always true. For example, some people view eating disorders as a choice rather than serious biological illnesses.

Resource List

9 Truths about Eating Disorders

Understanding Eating Disorder Statistics

Eating Disorders in Men & Boys

Eating Disorders: Beyond the Myths

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Who is affected by eating disorders? - Kelty Eating Disorders

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Eating disorders can affect people of any age, race, gender or sexual orientation. They are often diagnosed in teenagers and young adults, but many people are first diagnosed with an eating disorder in later adulthood. Sometimes the first signs and symptoms develop at a much younger age.

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Eating Disorders in Men and Boys - Non-creditable source, Busting Myth. 

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Eating Disorders in Men and Boys - Non-creditable source, Busting Myth. 

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This website discusses how men and boys are affected by eating disorders.

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Despite the stereotype that eating disorders only occur in women, about one in three people struggling with an eating disorder is male, and subclinical eating disordered behaviors (including binge eating, purging, laxative abuse, and fasting for weight loss) are nearly as common among men as they are among women.

In the United States alone, eating disorders will affect 10 million males at some point in their lives. But due in large part to cultural bias, they are much less likely to seek treatment for their eating disorder. The good news is that once a man finds help, they show similar responses to treatment as women. Several factors lead to men and boys being under- and undiagnosed for an eating disorder. Men can face a double stigma, for having a disorder characterized as feminine or gay and for seeking psychological help. Additionally, assessment tests with language geared to women and girls have led to misconceptions about the nature of disordered eating in men.

TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS

Treatment is not one-size-fits-all. For any person, biological and cultural factors should be taken into consideration in order to provide an effective treatment environment.

Studies suggest that risk of mortality for males with eating disorders is higher than it is for females - early intervention is critical.

A gender-sensitive approach with recognition of different needs and dynamics for males is critical in effective treatment. Men and boys in treatment can feel out of place when predominantly surrounded by women, and an all-male treatment environment is recommended-when possible.

Men and boys with anorexia nervosa usually exhibit low levels of testosterone and vitamin D, and they have a high risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Testosterone supplementation is often recommended.
Learn more about treatment > Infographic: Eating Disorders in Men & Boys
Get the facts on eating disorders in men and boys with our infographic!

MEN AND BODY IMAGE

There are numerous studies on male body image, and results vary widely. Many men have misconceived notions about their weight and physique, particularly the importance of muscularity. Findings include:

Most males would like to be lean and muscular, which typically represents the "ideal" male body type. Exposure to unattainable images in the media leads to male body dissatisfaction.

The sexual objectification of men and internalization of media images predicts drive for muscularity.

The desire for increased musculature is not uncommon, and it crosses age groups. 25% of normal weight males perceive themselves to be underweight and 90% of teenage boys exercised with the goal of bulking up.

Muscle dysmorphia, a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder, is an emerging condition that primarily affects male bodybuilders. Such individuals obsess about being adequately muscular. Compulsions include spending many hours in the gym, squandering excessive amounts of money on supplements, abnormal eating patterns, or use of steroids.
Learn more about body image >

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Despite the stereotype that eating disorders only occur in women, about one in three people struggling with an eating disorder is male, and subclinical eating disordered behaviors (including binge eating, purging, laxative abuse, and fasting for weight loss) are nearly as common among men as they are among women.

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Eating Disorders BMC Journal - Creditable - Plausible

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Eating Disorders BMC Journal - Creditable - Plausible

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This article states that women make up 90% of the people who experience eating disorders.

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Abstract

Health Issue

Eating disorders are an increasing public health problem among young women. Anorexia and bulimia may give rise to serious physical conditions such as hypothermia, hypotension, electrolyte imbalance, endocrine disorders, and kidney failure.

Key Issues

Eating disorders are primarily a problem among women. In Ontario in 1995, over 90% of reported hospitalized cases of anorexia and bulimia were women. In addition to eating disorders, preoccupation with weight, body image and self-concept disturbances, are more prevalent among women than men.

Women with eating disorders are also at risk for long-term psychological and social problems, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. For instance, in 2000, the prevalence of depression among women who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of anorexia (11.5%) or bulimia (15.4 %) was more than twice the rate of depression (5.7 %) among the general population of Canadian women. The highest incidence of depression was found in women aged 25 to 39 years for both anorexia and bulimia.

Data Gaps and Recommendations

Hospitalization data are the most recent and accessible information available. However, this data captures only the more severe cases. It does not include the individuals with eating disorders who may visit clinics or family doctors, or use hospital outpatient services or no services at all. Currently, there is no process for collecting this information systematically across Canada; consequently, the number of cases obtained from hospitalization data is underestimated. Other limitations noted during the literature review include the overuse of clinical samples, lack of longitudinal data, appropriate comparison groups, large samples, and ethnic group analysis.

Background

Eating disorders are an increasing public health problem among young women[]: they may give rise to serious physical problems such as hypothermia, hypotension, electrolyte imbalance, endocrine disorders and kidney failure. Women with eating disorders are also at risk of long-term psychological and social problems, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. The costs in terms of quality of life, loss of productivity, serious medical problems and mortality are high. []

Clinical eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. [] Anorexia is characterized by a severely calorie-restricted diet, resulting in a body weight that is at least 85% below that expected for age and height. [] Bulimia is identified by frequent fluctuations in weight and recurrent episodes of compulsive bingeing followed by self-induced vomiting, purging, fasting, laxative use and/or excessive exercise in attempts to avoid weight gain.[] Eating disorders not otherwise specified include behaviours such as chronic dieting, purging and binge-eating, which do not meet the full criteria for a specific eating disorder,[] they are two to five times as common as the clinical eating disorders.

Eating disorders are, by and large, a problem among women. From the data collected in the Ontario Health Survey, Mental Health Supplement, the lifetime prevalence of bulimia (according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 3rd revision [DSM-III-R]) among women aged 15 to 65 was estimated as 1.1% in 1990.[] In 1995, 95% of reported hospitalized cases of anorexia and more than 90% of hospitalized cases of bulimia in Ontario were women.[]

In addition to eating disorders, preoccupation with weight and body image, and self-concept disturbances, are more prevalent among women than men.[, -] Personal, behavioural and socio-environmental factors, such as negative body image, low self-esteem, fear of becoming fat, chronic dieting and social pressures to be thin, are identified risk factors.[, , -]

Body Image

Body image concerns and preoccupation with body weight and shape increase as girls become older and more aware of the idealized societal preference for a thin body shape.[] The images of women in the media and popular culture place pressure on vulnerable young girls and women to live up to these expectations, regardless of their natural body shape.[, ] In British Columbia, it was found that by age 18, 80% of girls at all weights reported that they would like to weigh less.[, ] A school-based population study involving 1,739 adolescent women aged 12 to 18 years in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa found that current dieting to lose weight was reported by 23% of participants, binge-eating by 15%, self-induced vomiting by 8.2% and the use of diet pills by 2.4%.[]

Body shape dissatisfaction and preoccupation with weight are not limited to adolescents but also occur in children. A recent Canadian school-based study concluded that 34% of prepubescent girls, 36% of early pubescent girls and 76% of post-pubescent girls were dissatisfied with their body shape.[] In a survey of eating and smoking behaviours among boys and girls in grades 4 to 8 in southwestern Ontario and Charlottetown, more than 25% from each grade reported not eating breakfast every day, and there was a sharp increase among girls beginning in grade 7.[] Unhealthy eating patterns in childhood can adversely affect health, contribute to chronic disease in later life, and often persist into adolescence and adulthood, since change is difficult once eating patterns are established.[]

Morbidity

The starvation associated with anorexia and the chronic vomiting frequently associated with bulimia can cause serious medical problems, such as hypothermia, hypotension, anemia, osteoporosis, endocrine abnormalities, dehydration, kidney stones, metabolic alkalosis and dental caries.[] Girls and women with eating disorders are also at increased risk of menstrual irregularities such as amenorrhea, infertility, [, ] miscarriages and fetal complications such as prematurity, low birth weight, malformations and low Apgar scores.[, -]

Mothers who have or have had an eating disorder may also create abnormal behavioural patterns when feeding their children, such as irregular feeding schedules, detached non-interactive mealtimes, and use of food for non-nutritive purposes, which may lead to second-generation eating problems. [-]

Psychological Morbidity

In addition to depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders are also associated with diminished libido, altered sleeping patterns, irritability and suicide attempts.[, , ] Ontario women with bulimia have higher levels of anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse than those without bulimia.[, , , ] Smoking and substance abuse are much more prominent among teenaged girls with eating disorders than among those with healthy eating habits. [, , ] In a recent analysis of the 1997 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey, adolescent females who perceived themselves as overweight were almost 50% more likely to smoke than those who considered themselves of average weight or too thin, whereas weight perceptions were not associated with smoking among males.[] Several studies have suggested an association between a traumatic experience (sexual or physical abuse) and later self-injury. A recent study found that among patients with eating disorders there is a more than 30% lifetime risk of self-injurious behaviour.[]

Mortality

The rate of death from anorexia is higher than from bulimia because of the complications of starvation and electrolyte imbalances, or suicide.[, ] A recent review reported a mortality rate of 0.6% for anorexia as compared with 0.3% for bulimia.[] A longitudinal U.S. study (21-year follow-up) of 84 women with anorexia reported that 14 women (16.7%) had died, and 12 of the 14 had died of causes directly related to anorexia; the observed death rate was 9.8 times greater than expected.[]

Socio-Economic Status

Although previous studies in Canada and the United States have demonstrated differences in education and socio-economic status (SES) in the prevalence of obesity, [-] the relation between eating disorders and SES is still unclear.[, ] Jones et al[] observed that SES was not significantly associated with disturbed eating behaviours in a school-based Ontario population (n = 530), findings that are consistent with those of previous studies and may reflect the pervasive influence of the media on all SES groups.[]

Ethnic Subgroups

Cultural beliefs and attitudes are identified as significant contributing factors in the development of eating disorders.[] Canadian research on eating disorders and ethnic background, however, is extremely limited.

A few studies propose that cultural beliefs may actually protect ethnic groups against eating disorders, but their effect may be eroded as adolescents face pressures of acculturation.[] A recent study of Mexican-American women across generations reported that second-generation women displayed the most disordered eating patterns and the highest degree of acculturation to mainstream U.S. culture.[] Experiences of cultural change (such as those of immigrants, for example) may also increase vulnerability to eating disorders.[, ]

This Study

This study presents data from the NPHS and national databases to investigate the burden of eating disorders in Canada and to explore the differences in attitude to weight between men and women.

Methods

NPHS

Within the NPHS, 1996-1997 (see Appendix A for details about the methods of data collection for the NPHS), the population selected for this analysis consisted of women and men aged 20 to 64, excluding pregnant women and people less than 3 feet (0.9 metres) or greater than 6 feet 11 inches (2.1 metres) in height. All data were weighted to represent the total population at the date of each survey.

Respondents who perceived themselves to be either underweight or overweight were asked to state their desired weight. The responses were analyzed according to four categories of body mass index (BMI) - underweight (BMI < 20), acceptable weight (BMI 20-25), some excess weight (BMI 25-27) and overweight (BMI > 27).

CIHI

From the CIHI database, any separations from hospital with an ICD-9 code of 307.1 for anorexia and 307.5 for bulimia and other unspecified disorders of eating from 1994 to 1999 were extracted. Crude hospitalization rates, age-specific rates, and age-standardized hospitalization rates per 100,000 separations across provinces and territories were examined. Furthermore, age-specific rates for the comorbidity of depressive disorder (ICD-9 code of 311) among those with a hospital separation for an eating disorder were also examined for the year 2000.

Results

Prevalence

The prevalence of eating disorders is difficult to ascertain, since many people may not even be aware that they have an eating disorder, are reluctant to seek medical care or have not been hospitalized. Although epidemiologic research can approximate the prevalence of eating disorders within a population, the lack of standard methodologies and community samples results in conflicting estimates.

Hospitalization data are the most recent and accessible information available, but only the more severe cases are captured and not the individuals with eating disorders who may visit clinics or family doctors, use hospital outpatient services or use no services at all. Currently, there is no process for collecting this information systematically across Canada; consequently, the number of cases obtained from hospitalization data is an underestimate.

Inpatient crude hospital separations in Canada for any diagnosis of anorexia, bulimia and other unspecified eating disorders appear to have increased somewhat (by 4.7%), from 10.2 to 10.7 per 100,000 women between 1994 and 1999 (Figure ). Although the rates among men were notably lower, they also increased slightly (4.8%) during the same period, from 0.6 to 0.7 per 100,000 men (Figure ). These increases may be due to better awareness and detection of eating disorders and improved specialized inpatient treatment programs.

Across Canada, age-standardized hospital separation rates for eating disorders were highest among women in British Columbia (15.9 per 100,000 women) and New Brunswick (15.1), and lowest in Saskatchewan (8.6) and Alberta (8.6) (Figure ).

Differences between Men and Women

The 1996-1997 NPHS data suggest that more women than men wished to weigh much less than their actual weight (see Figure ). Among those who had an acceptable BMI, between 20 and 25, women wanted to lose an average of 5.3 kg, whereas men wanted to gain an average of 2.2 kg. Among those with a BMI between 25 and 27 or greater than 27, women wished to achieve a higher average weight loss than men (8.7 kg versus 5.2 kg and 17.2 kg versus 12.4 kg, respectively). Similarly, among those who were underweight, with a BMI of less than 20, the average desired weight gain was smaller for women than for men (3.6 versus 8.9 kg).

Depression

In 2000, the prevalence of depression among women who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of anorexia (11.54%) or bulimia (15.36%) was more than twice the prevalence of depression (5.7%) in the general population of women, according to the 1998-1999 NPHS.[] (For depression rates of the general population please see the chapter on "Depression".) The highest prevalence of depression was found among women between 25 and 39 years of age for both anorexia and bulimia (see Figure ).

Vulnerable Subgroups

Although distorted body images and eating disorders are experienced by women of all ages, the highest rates of hospitalization for eating disorders occur among young women. Age-specific hospital separation rates are highest among adolescent women aged 15 to 19 years (65.5 per 100,000 women) followed by those aged 10 to 14 years. The rates slowly decrease with age (Figure ). Many young women do not meet the criteria for an eating disorder, but they may still show sub-clinical symptoms (disordered eating behaviours) that can harm their health. [-]

Discussion

Data Limitations

Several limitations were noted during the literature review: lack of longitudinal data, of appropriate comparison groups, of large samples and of ethnic group analysis. Most studies were based on clinical samples, making it difficult to generalize findings to the general population. Furthermore, many of these studies were cross-sectional and limited in their ability to make causal links.

CIHI hospital separation data provide information on the number of times each diagnosis is made and not on the number of people with the diagnosis, which leads to duplicate reporting. Comparable international rates of eating disorders were unobtainable. Nevertheless, two recommendations can be made.

Recommendations

* Data should be collected on eating disorders in Canadian women, including the prevalence and risk factors in subgroups such as disabled, immigrant and visible minority women.

* Cross-cultural and longitudinal evaluations of attitudes and behaviours towards disordered eating should be conducted in large community samples to monitor trends, examine protective and non-protective factors, and assist in the development and planning of preventive and treatment programs.

Authors' Affiliations

University Health Network Women's Health Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

University Health Network Women's Health Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

University Health Network Women's Health Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

University Health Network Women's Health Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

References

1. Federal, Provincial and Territorial Working Group on Women's Health. Working together for women's mental health. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. 1993

2. The McCreary Centre Society. Adolescent health survey II: province of British Columbia. Vancouver: McCreary Centre Society. 1999

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Eating disorders are an increasing public health problem among young women. Anorexia and bulimia may give rise to serious physical conditions such as hypothermia, hypotension, electrolyte imbalance, endocrine disorders, and kidney failure. Eating disorders are primarily a problem among women. In Ontario in 1995, over 90% of reported hospitalized cases of anorexia and bulimia were women.

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Millstone - Documentary about Eating Disorders Amongst Men. 

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Millstone - Documentary about Eating Disorders Amongst Men. 

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Muscle Dysmorphia – The Male Eating Disorder | Scott Griffiths - Non-creditable - Busted

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Muscle Dysmorphia – The Male Eating Disorder | Scott Griffiths - Non-creditable - Busted

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TEDx talk discussing an eating disorder mainly attributed to males.  Newer emerging trends. Muscle Dysmorphia similarities to anorexia nervosa.

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Muscle Dysmorphia – The Male Eating Disorder | Scott Griffiths | TEDxSydney

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This is an academic article discussing anorexia within non-Western cultures. This is recent, credible source.

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This is an academic article discussing anorexia within non-Western cultures. This is recent, credible source.

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This is an academic article about middle aged men suffering from eating disorders. It is a low number of middle aged men in comparison to the number of men assessed but it is proof, nonetheless, of middle aged men suffering. This is a credible source.

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Padlet References S. Treasure and L.Beegan.docx

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A credible Source. This is a fact sheet about eating disorders in males, reporting that up to 25% of eating disorder sufferers are male.