Eating Disorders in Boys and Men

Due to prevailing perceptions of eating disorders as predominantly affecting young women, eating disorders in boys and men have historically been underrecognized, undertreated, and understudied in research and clinical settings. This chapter addresses the potentially unique considerations regarding etiology, clinical presentation, assessment, and treatment of eating disorder symptoms in boys and men, who represent at least one in five of all individuals with an eating disorder. Specifically, we review key ways in which clinical presentations of eating disorders among boys/men may differ from traditional presentations among girls/women, with a focus on specific symptoms, risk factors, and comorbidities. Although the literature on sex differences in the physiology of eating disorders is sparse, we highlight research on medical complications that may be especially salient for males. This is followed by an overview of questionnaires used to assess body image concerns and eating disorder symptomatology, including muscularity-oriented disordered eating, in boys and men. Finally, we end with a discussion of how treatment and prevention efforts may differ for boys and men, as well as addressing certain areas in need of further research.