Increase In Eating Disorders In Teen Males

By Author: Rudy at Rogers
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It might be difficult to identify the reason for the rise in eating disorders in teen males. It is a myth that it is just females who suffer from Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia.

It might be difficult to identify the reason for the rise in eating disorders in teen males. It is a myth that it is just females who suffer from Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia. The rise among young males may be due to the enhanced focus on six pack abs and toned muscles, as well as sports reasoning. Male fashion magazines and television programs can be the reason for the low self esteem in many young men these days. They feel embarrassed about their physique and fitness. Unlike girls, they might not even disclose what they feel. Unfortunately, the diagnosis becomes difficult in men who are less likely to admit to the illness.

Apart from the societal pressure, low self esteem, personal factors and genetics too play a role in causing these illnesses. The immediate symptoms would include dizziness, fatigue, irritability, trouble sleeping and weakness. As adolescent males may cope up with these better than the girls of their age, even their parents ...
... and friends may not identify the condition. Those with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa gain a sense of control when they refuse to eat. Bulimia is a state where the person would be obsessed with food and would happily indulge in binge eating followed by a purging cycle to rid their body of the food they take in. The following are some of the symptoms that often help to identify the illness and help get necessary treatment:

A distorted body image

Skipping most or all meals in the day

Unusual eating patterns

Pre-occupation with body weight

Extreme weight loss

Erosion of tooth enamel

Loss of female reproductive cycle

There are more symptoms than this and yet a lot of adolescents with eating disorders fail to be treated because they are able to hide their anorexia or bulimia from friends and family so well and for long periods of time.

Eating Disorder Treatment for Teens/Adolescents

Treatment for teens with eating disorders is not easy, adolescents with eating disorders are already fighting the control others are placing on their lives and to begin recovery many times they must give in completely and admit this illness is destroying them. Eating disorder treatment for teens generally also involves some sort of anxiety component or depression component as well, making the need for additional expertise necessary. Treatment for teens sometimes comes with the need for medical stabilization because eating disorders can cause kidney problems, heart problems and osteopenia, a form of bone loss, often leading to fractures. Adolescents seeking lasting recovery generally will commit to a length of stay at a treatment provider which specializes in treatment of eating disorders and has at least one medical doctor who specializes in these specific illnesses, also this treatment may consist of CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which helps to replace disordered thinking with thoughts that are more appropriate, and DBT which is a newly integrated therapy which teaches mindfulness and has more of an eastern medicine approach. There is one thing most all experts agree upon, treatment for teens with eating disorders works better when done sooner.
Resource: http://www.rogershospital.org/