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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Male eating disorders have their own signs

Knight Ridder News Service

Men and women suffering from eating disorders share similar psychological traits, but there are problems that are more common among men.

Warning signs include:

  • Excessively low-carbohydrate diets.

  • Steroid use.

  • Skipping meals.

  • Purging after meals.

  • Overweight in childhood.

  • Sexual abuse histories.

  • Emotionally troubled parents.

  • Anxiety and depression.

  • Low self-esteem.

  • Spending on cosmetic surgery.

  • Worrying too much about achieving the perfect "V" shape and measurements.

  • Reverse anorexia — a term coined to describe some bodybuilders' overwhelming drive for lean muscle mass. This obsessional behavior resembles anorexia nervosa, except that the drive for bigger muscles replaces the drive for thinness.

    Source: Bella Vita eating disorder treatment center, Pasadena, Calif.