Content provided in partnership with

Loving Adonis: could your man suffer from disordered eating?

American Fitness, March-April, 2003 by W. Duke Greenhill

Margaret * fell in love with James * the moment she met him. He was loving, fun, a caring gentleman and had many friends. However, inside him roared a battle over a single issue: image. James was one of roughly a million men in the United States who suffer from disordered eating (e.g., anorexia nervosa [starving oneself], bulimia nervosa [binging and purging] or overeating). More detailed numbers are difficult to find because "few men seek help," says Dr. Trent A. Petrie, professor of sports psychology at the University of North Texas. "When they do, health professionals are less likely to diagnose them because of a bias that associates these disorders with women." For the same reason, women are less likely to notice these disorders in the men in their lives.

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

Furthermore, men who suffer from body image issues slip through the statistical cracks because of the specific criteria set forth for diagnosing eating disorders. "We think many more males suffer from disordered eating, rather than eating disorders proper," suggests Petrie.

They may starve themselves or binge and purge, "but not with enough frequency to diagnose a true disorder." One estimate purports one in six victims of disordered eating is male. That's almost 17 percent!

The number discrepancy suggests many more men suffer from disordered eating than estimated. These shocking--and quickly increasing--numbers most likely result from male images in the media. "He would see guys in muscle magazines or on TV and couldn't accept that he didn't look like that," Margaret recalls. "He once said, 'I'm angry at God for giving me the desire to be "ripped" and the inability to achieve it.'"

Masculine image bombardment does not stop at the magazine rack or TV screen. Even video games and action figures depict the "super buff." According to Dr. Roberto Olivardia of Harvard, co-author of the book Adonis Complex (Free Press, 2000), if G.I. Joe were a real man, he would be more muscular than any bodybuilder of the past and present. "I didn't realize," says James, "what I wanted was unattainable. I wanted to be the pixels on a TV screen and have the steroid-laden looks of pro-bodybuilders. I couldn't understand that such appearances aren't natural--aren't real. Only my disease was real."

The dangers of "images" lie in the fact that men, especially young men, don't recognize them as dangerous due to their prevalence. "I was utterly absorbed by the images," James claims. "I don't blame the media, but the images are everywhere." This total immersion and silent predatory influence is what causes the "Adonis complex"--a term coined by Olivardia and his colleagues to describe some men's desire to do anything to "pursue the perfect body." It fosters the idea that "if you're a real man, you should look bigger and better than you do," Olivardia writes.

Aside from halting the display of "Baywatch bods" on TV and Calvin Klein underwear ads in print media, there is another hope in the battle against disordered eating in men--the women who love them. "It's important men understand one's identity and worth come from many sources--not just from how one looks," says Petrie. "[He] who is able to achieve his identity as a husband, boyfriend [or] father is more balanced--these things bring much more value to life."

"Margaret was the answer for me," James says enthusiastically. She could tell something was wrong and researched the issue. Then, without accusation, she bugged him and said, "I know you're hurting. Tell me what's wrong."

"I denied it at first," James recalls. "That's the most horribly powerful part of the disease--denial." Margaret supported him and James soon realized she was more important than being "buff." "Margaret never left my side," he says in an emotional whisper, "I'd have never made it without her."

James recognizes their relationship suffered as a result of his disease. Although he had lied to Margaret in order to hide his sickness--even been mean to her in order to make her leave him alone so he could binge--Margaret told James she still loved him and would do what it took to make him well. "She made me realize I was important. I was important to her. She didn't care how I looked or what strange neuroses I had, only that we were happy together."

"I was one of the lucky ones," James smiles, knowing over 2,700 death certificates per year list eating disorders as a cause of death. "Education is the answer--education and a woman [who] loves you." He smiles at Margaret and they kiss.

DISORDERED EATING WARNING SIGNS

* Over-exercise: Studies suggest more men, than women, with eating disorders tend to over-exercise. Although it is difficult to say how much exercise is too much, one way to gauge it is by examining the person in question's "usual" routine.

Loving Adonis: could your man suffer from disordered eating?

American Fitness, March-April, 2003 by W. Duke Greenhill

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Technology

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health