About half of those with anorexia also have bulimia symptoms. Just as a man or woman may become an alcoholic, either may fall victim to an eating disorder. Medical professionals say the disorders most often surface during the teen years, but in rare cases, men as old as 60 and boys as young as 8 can be afflicted. In both sexes, the illnesses can lead to lifelong medical and psychological complications. An estimated 6 percent of cases result in death.
Most people find it difficult to halt the behavior without professional assistance.
Though some men ultimately seek help, many continue untreated with the disorders, often for years, and sometimes for a decade or more. We live in a 'macho' society. Many men simply are ashamed to have an illness of this type. Thus, they suffer in silence. Another problem, says ANAD, is that a great number of doctors and health-care professionals are not trained to identify or treat male eating disorders, especially anorexia.