Medical Health Encyclopedia

When eating disorders occur in young adults, men are more apt to conceal them, so the incidence among males may be underreported. One study of Navy men, for example, reported a prevalence of 2.5% for anorexia, 6.8% of bulimia, and 40% for binge eating.

Studies suggest that the psychiatric and behavioral profiles of men and women with eating disorders are very similar to each other, although there are some differences. Excessive physical activity is more prevalent in males with anorexia. Anorexics tend to have very low sexual interest, although there is a higher rate of homosexuality among young men than women. Sexual preference for men may tend to differ, however, by the specific eating disorders. One study reported that 42% of male civilians with bulimia were homosexual or bisexual while 58% of the men with anorexia were asexual.

Ethnic Factors

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Most studies of individuals with eating disorders have been conducted using Caucasian middle-class females. Studies are now reporting, however, that minority populations, including Hispanic- Americans and African-Americans, are significantly affected. There is some indication that African-American girls and young women may be at particular risk for eating disorders because of poor body images caused by cultural attitudes that denigrate the physical characteristics of minorities. A 2004 study found that about the same percentage of Caucasian women 72.0%), African-American women (68.3%), and Hispanic women (69.4%) wanted to weigh less, and about half of the women in each group were actively trying to lose weight. In one study, bulimia was equally common among both Caucasian and African American women, although the latter were more likely to binge recurrently, to fast, and to use laxatives and diuretics to control weight. Binge eating may be an even more severe a problem in Hispanic Americans. A 2000 study on Asian women also reported rates of dieting and body dissatisfaction that were similar to those in other cultures, but Asian women had much lower percentages of actual eating disorders.