July 31, 2017

Growing number of men diagnosed with eating disorders

Growing number of men diagnosed with eating disorders

The number of adult men in the UK admitted to hospital with an eating disorder increased by more than 70% over the past seven years, according to NHS data. Eating disorder charity Beat estimates that there are around 70 million people with eating disorders worldwide, and in the UK up to one in four sufferers are male.

Experts suggest that the rise is down to increasing societal pressure from popular culture and social media, however the real figures could be much higher. Many male sufferers remain undiagnosed as men often struggle to identify eating disorders and access treatment due to commonly held misconceptions surrounding these illnesses. Beat explains that “eating disorders are often stereotyped as illnesses that only women suffer, when in fact we know that they can affect anyone of any gender.”

A lack of public awareness about eating disorders can have impacts in the workplace, with a 2016 survey stating that “more than 30% of people felt they were stigmatised or discriminated against because of their eating disorder at work.”

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, encourages employers to become better educated on warning signs including “excessive dieting or daily trips to the gym, eating large amounts of food, the inappropriate use of laxatives and obsessions around weight and appearance.”

The issue of eating disorders amongst men was explored in a BBC Panorama programme last week, featuring world-class rugby referee Nigel Owens and professional boxer Bradley Pryce speaking about their battles with bulimia.

Richard Layard has written about the economics of mental health for IZA World of Labor, and describes mental illness, including eating disorders, as a “worldwide problem” that “causes not only massive suffering but also great economic waste.” Layard finds that mental illness is “the most prevalent disease among working-age people” and “by keeping so many people from working or from working productively, mental illness costs billions in welfare payments and lost taxes.”

Evidence-based psychological therapies have shown promising results in treating mental illness and “for each dollar or pound spent, roughly an equal amount is saved on welfare benefits and an equal amount on physical health care.” Therefore, investment in psychological therapy is a highly recommended policy strategy for the well-being of the workforce, as well as boosting the economy.

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