Tendencies of eating disordered behaviours in male content creators: a social media analysis

Eating disorders are primarily associated with women and an obsession with thinness. Recent research and social media content show that men are also concerned about their body image, striving for a muscular and athletic physique. To investigate eating disorder tendencies among male content creators with a mesomorphic body type (N = 26), a social media analysis was conducted on Instagram and TikTok over four weeks. Published content and profiles were screened using ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, which were then adapted to take account of gender differences. A total of 2,985 posts were recorded, of which 69% were classified as relevant to diet, exercise and body content. Six content creators (23%) met the ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, while gender-specific adaptations identified 15 individuals (58%) with tendencies toward an eating disorder. The profile analysis shows that gender-specific adaptation of the diagnostic criteria with regard to the pursuit of muscularity can facilitate the additional recognition of eating disorder-related behaviours in males. Male children and adolescents should be educated at an early stage to avoid critical behaviour patterns and the internalisation of utopian beauty ideals.