This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW) 2023, and the theme for this year is eating disorders in men. 

How many men are affected by eating disorders? (Source: NEDA)

• 25% of those diagnosed with an eating disorder are male.  
• From 1999 to 2009, hospitalisation of men with eating disorders has risen by 53%. 
• 15% of gay or bisexual men report struggling with an eating disorder.

The focus of this year's EDAW is important for many reasons including the following: 

• There has been an enormous underrepresentation of men in eating disorder research, and even more so for trans men.
• It is believed that the onset of eating disorders in boys may be earlier than in girls, and in boys, it may often be more challenging to spot.
• Socially, it is deemed more acceptable for boys to want to gain muscle and to want to spend a lot of time in the gym, meaning that those surrounding them are less likely to recognise when a behaviour begins to become unhealthy and obsessive.
• The internal and external pressures to adhere to the 'masculine ideal' can be detrimental. Boys may be more likely to focus on building huge muscle mass, exercising to extremes, and even taking unhealthy supplements - however, this is not the case in all men.
• A recent study found that males with eating disorders tended to report more difficulties with emotions in comparison to girls. (Vuillier (2022) What about males? Exploring sex differences in the relationship between emotion difficulties and eating disorders - Journal of Eating Disorders.) From an early age, men are conditioned to hide their feelings, to be strong, brave, and thick-skinned. But this does not mean that they do not experience emotion. When men believe they have to hide their emotions, they begin to develop alternative ways of coping with these difficult feelings, which may be in the form of an eating disorder. 

Schools have an important role to play in changing the narrative, by encouraging boys to show their emotions, talk about their difficulties, and seek support. #helpmengethelp

Please share my petition with as many people as you can. Thank you.

(Image Source: Roden, N. (2023) #HelpMenGetHelp: Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2023.)