“Male eating disorders absolutely do happen,” says psychotherapist Andrea Scherzer. “But men are notorious for not asking for help – even though many are out there suffering,” she says. “They think an eating disorder is a female problem, so are often too embarrassed to open up.”

We have be aware that we are living in a patriarchal society where men are stereotypically meant to have control or at least look like they have it.

Any loss of this control, or the fear of it, could result in them finding something that they can control – such as their body and food.

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.

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 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.

• Severely restricted eating

• Extreme thinness (emaciation)

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Unrealistic, distorted body image

• Unhealthy and relentless pursuit of thinness

• Self-esteem that is heavily influenced by perceptions of body weight

• Denial of the potential health consequences of low body weight