Why Some Men Are Reluctant to Open Up About Eating Disorders

At the time, the only other people Hornby knew who had eating disorders were women.

Without a safe place to discuss his disorder, he acted like he was fine.

Its a very specific experience.

He searched for people like him on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to no avail.

Eventually, he took that role upon himselfand started talking about his own eating disorder recovery on TikTok.

And soon enough, he went viral.

Why Aren’t More Men Talking About Eating Disorders?

If not treated, these conditions can put a person at risk for heart failure or sudden death.

In recent years, some women-only treatment centers have started to include men and non-binary people.

These episodes typically begin as an attempt to comfort himself with food and end in guilt and disappointment.

But he doubts that his close friends and family know about his condition.

Ive always been the strong one, the funny guy, the people pleaser, Steinmetz told Verywell.

Hornby said fitness trends initially made him think of his body as not strong enough.

These insecurities manifested intobody dysmorphiathat contributed to his eating disorder.

Workout cycles like cutting and bulking seasons can also mimic the binge-purge cycle in people with bulimia.

It can also cause substantial weight loss.

Eating disorders can also affect male hormones, sexual organs, and sex drives.

In some cases, patients may lose testosterone or have retracting genitalia, he added.

Treatment centers like Walden are trying to develop better treatment plans that can cater to a diversity of patients.

But the first step in developing an effective treatment approach is encouraging the patient to show up.

For people like Steinmetz, seeking help doesnt always feel easy or comfortable because of societal expectations of men.

Theres definitely a stigma for guys to bottle it up, and dont talk about it.

But thats starting to kind of get brokenand I love to see it, he said.

Id love to be more open about how Im feeling and what Im going through, Steinmetz said.

I dont know if Im quite there yet.

I feel like Im definitely on the right track.

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National Eating Disorders Association.Other specified feeding and eating disorder.

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National Eating Disorders Association