The study estimates that two out of every 100 men have an eating disorder compared to about five out of every 100 women. They may not recognize the symptoms or they may be too embarrassed to seek help. Dr. Holbrook was an anorexic for 12 years himself and only got counseling after one of his patients confronted him. Photos of muscular guys with impossibly lean physiques constitute, for some men, both the unattainable and a recipe for self-destruction. The study also found men with eating disorders were more likely to suffer psychiatric problems than healthy men, such as major depression and phobias, illnesses common in women with eating disorders.
Experts say the only way to break the cycle is to end the denial and get help.
The latest study did not examine the role of sexual orientation. Prior studies have shown gay men are more likely to suffer from eating disorders but heterosexual men are at risk too.