More men with eating disorders seek treatment programs

For years, anorexia and bulimia were considered strictly female disorders. But doctors say men are getting caught up in the quest for the perfect body, and they may have fewer treatment options.

Recent studies suggest up to 16 per cent of those treated for anorexia are male, and doctors suspect the number may be higher for bulimia.

• INDEPTH: Eating Disorders in Females

For David Hurst of Vancouver, food was his worst enemy for nearly 30 years. He exercised constantly, ate next to nothing and developed a serious drug problem.

"I was always checking myself," said Hurst. "'OK, am I thin enough?' Pinch for the inch."

Eating disorder specialist Dr. Laird Birmingham said the chance of getting an eating disorder, particularly bulimia nervosa, increases with societal pressures. Many patients have other disorders as well.

Taken to the extreme, people deny their bodies of food because of deep psychiatric conditions. Now more men are falling into the body image trap.

Patricia O'Hagan of the Eating Disorder Resource Centre of B.C. said some magazines that purport to be about health are really about body image.

"Now there's a whole industry that's targeting men," said O'Hagan.

• VIEWPOINT: Martin O'Malley column - Eating Disorders: a cultural epidemic

Some men with eating disorders were too embarrassed to talk about it or to seek help. For those who do, few doctors or clinics treat the disorder in men.

Hurst said most researchers exclude males because they think the numbers are too small and will skew the statistics. He is trying to develop a support group for male clients only, hoping it will help more men to seek treatment.

"If you live on your scale, you definitely should look at it," Hurst warns. "If you have an emotional response to loss or gain, definitely check it."