A study published in the April issue of British journal, BMJ shows men are more likely to not recognize symptoms for eating disorders and delay treatment because of the perception of them as a female problem.
Little is known about how men recognize eating disorder symptoms and how they decide to seek help. The study, conducted by Ulla Räisänen of University of Oxford, and Professor Kate Hunt of Glasgow University, is an effort to understand how young men recognize eating disorder symptoms, decide to seek help, and study their experiences of initial contacts with primary care.
Researchers studied 29 women and 10 men, ages 16 to 25, who had been diagnosed with eating disorders. It took men a longer time to notice signs and symptoms of an eating disorder.
One of the reasons since it took men longer to know that they had an eating disorder was the notion that eating disorders affects only women.
The group also delayed assistance because they didn’t know where to go or they feared they wouldn’t be taken seriously by doctors.
"I didn't know men could get eating disorders then ... ‘cos that would be like five years ago and there wasn't really much said about men with eating disorders then ," said a participant of the study. " I didn't know the symptoms, didn't know anything, it was just, to me it was just happening. I didn't really know what was going on."
Although the study group was small, it brings focus to the gender angle of eating disorders which is not usually covered.
Below, young men interviewed by Oxford University speak about their eating disorders.
By: Anel Herrera
No comments:
Post a Comment