Masculinity, body image and eating pathology: A review of eating disorders amongst men

Eating disorders have been historically perceived as conditions predominantly affecting women, leading to a significant gap in understanding men’s experiences with these disorders. Men who experience disorders in eating might face challenges when it comes to diagnoses, symptom presentation and sociocultural factors influencing help-seeking behaviour. Stigmatising beliefs, underdiagnosis, and a lack of gender-sensitive treatment options might further complicate experiences of men suffering from eating disorders. Masculinity expectations due to sociocultural pressures and body image norms might influence willingness of men to seek help in relation to an eating disorder. This review article discusses the need for increased awareness and gender-inclusive, tailored approaches to address the needs of men with eating disorders. Finally, it aims to encourage scholars to focus on exploring this phenomenon from males’ perspective and challenge sociocultural norms by representing their experiences on eating disorders.