Men, boys, body image, and eating disorders
Eating disorders are one of Australia’s largest unrecognised men’s health issues – and we need to talk about it.
In Australia, 1.1 million people will experience an eating disorder in any given year, and over a third of these will be male – that’s over 365,000 men struggling with one of Australia’s deadliest mental illnesses. Many are suffering in silence.
From ‘looksmaxxing’ to ‘bulking up’ in the gym and ideas around ‘masculinity’ and ‘control’, men and boys feel pressure to abide by appearance ideals and beauty standards too – and it’s impacting their mental health. Eating disorders in men can be hard to spot. Know the signs, and act early.
“None of us is immune. I’ve seen many body image issues and problematic thoughts and behaviours in men go under the radar, which just exacerbates the problem. Men don’t talk about these issues – but we need to start.”
– Mark Beretta, Butterfly Ambassador
“I was diagnosed with anorexia at 10 years old, and have lived with the illness for 19 years … men and boys can be impacted, and that there’s no shame in talking about these issues or reaching out for help.”
– Alec White Cheshire, Lived Experience Advocate
Frequently Asked Questions
In Australia, around 1 in 3 people with an eating disorder is male – that’s over 365,000 men and boys struggling with these life-threatening mental illnesses. And we know these numbers are likely to be much higher, because shame and stigma stop many men from reaching out for help, and when they do, their experiences are more likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Eating disorders can affect men differently because men are often less likely to recognise their symptoms or seek help early. Many feel ashamed or worry about stigma, as eating disorders are often incorrectly perceived as a ‘women’s issue’. This can lead men to hide their struggles and delay accessing treatment or support.
Men can be more likely to have eating concerns tied to pursuing a lean or muscular physique. Signs may include ‘clean eating’, rigid requirements around protein intake, ‘bulking and cutting’ eating behaviours, avoiding certain food groups, counting calories or macronutrients, and eating past fullness.
However, everyone’s experience of an eating disorder is different.
- Males engaged in competitive sports, particularly those with a focus on the body, such as weight-lifting, boxing, horse riding, athletics and diving.
- Males who have experienced appearance-based bullying and teasing, particularly during adolescence.
- Males belonging to LGBTQIA+ communities.
- Males who have experienced trauma or mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression.
- Males who subscribe to external and internal pressures to adhere to the ‘muscularity ideal’ or ‘fit ideal’.
Young men aged 15-19 years are most affected by eating disorders, although anyone, of any age, can experience an eating disorder.
Physical: Rapid or frequent weight changes, dizziness or fainting, low energy, feeling constantly cold, or signs of vomiting like a swollen jaw, damaged teeth, or calluses on the knuckles.
Psychological: Preoccupation with food, weight or body shape; excessive focus on being muscular and/or lean; anxiety around mealtimes; feeling out of control around food; all-or-nothing thinking about “good/healthy” and “bad/unhealthy” foods; or using food to cope with (or punish themselves for) stress and emotions.
Behavioural: Skipping meals or eating in secret, compulsive exercising even when sick or injured or to ‘compensate’ for eating, excessive use or focus on supplements or macronutrients like protein, frequent bathroom trips after eating, hoarding food, rigid rituals around meals, and extreme sensitivity to comments about their body or eating habits.
Access our Warning Signs and Symptoms Factsheet.
Looksmaxxing messaging is becoming increasingly prevalent, and given its core focus is equating appearance with worthiness and success, it poses a significant risk to body dissatisfaction in boys and men, and may impact eating disorder risk.
Emerging research is calling for public health bodies, researches and policymakers to recognise looksmaxxing as a growing health and social issue that’s harming the physical and mental health of boys and men involved, and to advocate for new perceptions of masculinity, which focus on self-acceptance rather than unachievable appearance ideals.
It’s important that we talk to the boys and men in our lives about the appearance pressures they’re experiencing, such as looksmaxxing, and encourage reflections on positive versus harmful appearance habits, and how we understand masculinity. Access our resource Talking to Boys and Men about Looksmaxxing and Appearance Pressures.
Across all mental illnesses, it has been found that males feel less comfortable seeking help or talking about their mental health concerns. Men often delay seeking help for eating disorders, due to stigma, shame and the misconception that eating disorders only affect women. This can make it difficult for men to recognise their own behaviours as concerning.
When men do seek help and reach out for support in healthcare spaces, they can face further barriers to care – misdiagnosis can be common, and their symptoms can be overlooked, especially if presentations don’t fit the stereotype, such as a focus on muscularity rather than thinness.
This is why it’s so important to start conversations with the boys and men in your life, about eating disorders and body image concerns. Recognising the signs early and encouraging someone to seek help as soon as possible can make a significant difference to their recovery and wellbeing. Early intervention can make a world of difference, and support is always available. Access our resource Eating Disorders in Men and Boys – Early Intervention Resource.
Please know that Butterfly is here to help. We’d recommend contacting the Butterfly National Helpline for confidential and free support, by calling 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit www.butterfly.org.au to chat online or email, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight AEDT.
More stories from men with lived experience of eating disorders & body image concerns
More than one third of Australians living with an eating disorder are male [1]
There are currently more men living with an eating disorder than prostate cancer.
Men are four times more likely to live with an undiagnosed eating disorder [3]
48% of boys aged 12-18 in Australia never or rarely speak positively about their body [4]
- Read more stories from men who have an eating disorder or who have recovered
- Find out about our RESET program, Australia’s first digital body image program for adolescent boys, designed to give young men the opportunity to talk about the pressures they face and concerns they experience in relation to body image.
- Eating disorders and men – information from the National Eating Disorder Collaboration (NEDC)
- Videos on men and eating disorders
- Creating a positive body image environment for men and boys
[1] Deloitte Access Economics. (2024). Paying the Price, Second Edition: The economic and social impact of eating disorders in Australia. Report commissioned for Butterfly Foundation. Sydney: Butterfly Foundation. https://butterfly.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/deloitte-au-eco-paying-the-price-second-edition-180724-new-Oct-24.pdf
[2] Ibid
[3] Griffiths, et al. 2015. Self-stigma of seeking treatment and being male predict an increased likelihood of having an undiagnosed eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eat.22413
[4] Butterfly Foundation (2024). BodyKind Youth Survey Findings. Retrieved from http://www.butterfly.org.au/youthsurveyfindings
Getting support
If you’re worried that yourself or a loved one may be struggling with an eating disorder or body image concerns, it’s important to seek help right away. Contact the Butterfly National Helpline for confidential and free support, by calling 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit www.butterfly.org.au to chat online or email, 7 days a week, 8am-midnight AEDT/AEST.
