Three hundred and forty male college students participated in a survey study of eating attitudes. Participants completed a survey including demographic data, a weight history, and the Eating Attitudes Test . Twelve subjects or 3.5% of the population had elevated scores of 20 or above on the EAT-26. Elevated scores correlated significantly with body building and with a past history of obesity. fully 65% of the men reported weighing within 5 percentage points of their ideal weight. The authors suggest that males who are overinvested in their bodies and physical appearances are at higher risk for developing eating disorders.
Research on eating disorders in males has been eclipsed by the much larger number of articles written on affected females. The glamorization of eating disorders by the popular media may facilitate women's acknowledgment of this problem but may discourage males from admitting to what is perceived as a female disorder. More studies would be helpful to determine the current incidence and predisposing factors of eating disorders in males.
The literature available reports diverse findings. Males have been reported to comprise 5-10% of anorexia nervosa patients (Andersen & Mickalide, 1983). With regards to overeating versus restricted behavior, occasional binging on high calorie, easily ingested foods may be as common as 30% in male college students (Halmi, Falk, & Schwartz, 1981). When DSMIII criteria for bulimia are required, the percentage of males meeting the diagnosis drops to less than 5%. Strangler and Printz (1980) reported that male students presenting to a university psychiatric clinic may represent 10% of patients diagnosed as having bulimia.
Researchers are beginning to explore risk factors and sociocultural influences specific to men developing eating disorders. Several authors have found a past