Dye1 Michelle Dye Mr. Jorgensen English 1010 30 April 2014 Vacuum Cleaners and Eating Disorders.

I called a man about a vacuum cleaner. The selling of the vacuum cleaner is not what this story is about, it's the story that was told during the sale of said vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner salesman was a proud grandfather of a teenage boy. This man loved his grandson, but you could, figuratively speaking, see his heart break as he spoke of his grandson's eating disorder. His grandson's disorder was based on a compulsion to exercise. He would go running, lift weights instead of eating. He became intensely involved in school sports of track and swimming. In his grandfather's eyes this young man was handsome and healthy, but he said his grandson had a much different view of how he looked. He would run for miles instead of eating meals, always with the excuse he was training. If he had to eat dinner with the family he would then workout so severely that it would make him purge the food he just ate. Mr. Salesman did not realize that men or boys could develop an eating disorder. His attitude is prevalent in our nation and the lack of understanding that eating disorders have increased among the male population. Because of its perception as a female only condition, many suffer in silence. Treatment centers that offer in patient programs are not widely available.

Dye2 Over the last ten years eating disorders in men have doubled and it is growing. In Psychiatric Epidemiology, it reports "10 million men in the United States suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder which can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified" (Wade, KeskiRahkonen, Hudgon 360). In some cases many are not reported due to various reasons. "In addition many individuals struggle with body dissatisfaction and sub-clinical disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, and the best known contributor to the development of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is body dissatisfaction" (863). Findings show that women are prone to body image issues in late teens and early twenties, where men can actually start earlier. It develops when they are perceived as an overweight child, told they are chubby or fat. They can also develop body issues when participating in sports. Authorities in school sports have specific ideas of body type; weight and muscle growth and can put pressure on male student athletes to conform. This story of his family's struggle with their grandson's disorder is not uncommon or an isolated one. Eating disorders in men and boys are overlooked or ignored because of the idea that it is not something that can happen to a guy. "Men are less likely to seek treatment for eating disorders because of the perception that they are womans diseases (nationaleatingdisorders.org). I talked with Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Andrew Walen about men and eating disorders and he noted that; " Men feel a certain level of decreased 'manliness' when accepting they have an eating disorder. This perception will lead them to not seek treatment or ignore it. Since most parents, family members and friends will see it as lifestyle choice they then can influence the young person to not seek treatment or even

Dye3 accept there is a problem. However, I do see more men seeking treatment these days than even 10 years ago" (Walen). There are many differing points of view to how society and media have contributed to the perception of what the body should look like. Television programs, music videos and mainstream movies consistently bombard children, teenagers and young adults with unrealistic body images. When inquired about his theory on the media and its affect on eating disorders Mr. Walen related: "Society does have a certain ideology about health and beauty. The cultural idolatry of the thin or perfect body has become more prevalent since the 60's. Women do have a tendency to worry about, pay more attention to weight and shape. But as I mentioned men have a tendency to want to look a certain way, strong arms and legs, abdominal muscles. Due to the ideal being a certain muscular shape, most disorders can be part of a gym or sport culture" (Walen). Carrie Arnold, a popular blogger and a recovering anorexic, was very strong in her defense that the media is not responsible for eating disorders. " People in the Middle Ages framed anorexia as an effort to be more spiritual. Now, we look at it as an effort to be thinner or look like some supermodel. But the way we make sense of an illness is different than the illness itself" (ed-bites.blogspot.com). Sarah Ravin, a clinical psychologist and expert on eating disorders, writes that social media is not responsible in her distinction regarding eating disorders "The development of a eating disorder is influenced very heavily by genetics, neurobiology, individual personality traits and co-morbid disorders, environment clearly plays a role in the development of eating disorders, but environment

Dye4 alone is not sufficient to cause them" (drsarahravin.com). Both are interesting in their defense of the media and it's impact on the development of eating disorders. Mr. Salesman was not fully aware of the impact media had on his grandson's eating disorder, but he was very assured that sports played a large part. If you factor in the fanatical regards that are placed on sports and athletes that exist in this country and around the world it's seems his concern was warranted. A survey of male athletes at Ohio State University (OSU) found that about one in five believed they arent sufficiently muscular. The finding showed that 17.5 percent of athletes in lean sports, such as gymnastics, swimming, diving, cross country and track, showed symptoms of eating disorders, compared to 9.2 percent of athletes in non-lean sports, such as basketball, football and hockey. Some male athletes see pictures in mens fitness magazines of big, extremely muscular men and feel that they dont measure up, said Jennifer Carter, a psychologist at OSU Sports Medicine Center (researchnews.osu.edu). Participating in organized sports produces benefits of improved health, body image and self-acceptance. But the pressure of athletic competition combined with the societal pressure of thinness, places the athlete at risk for eating disorder. Risk Factors for Athletes according to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) include: "Sports that emphasize appearance, weight requirements or muscularity. For example: gymnastics or wrestling. Sports that focus on the individual rather than the entire team, like running, figure skating, or diving. Endurance sports such as track and field/running, swimming. The overvalued beliefs that lower body weight will improve performance. Low self-esteem; family dysfunction (including parents who live through the success of their child in sport); families with eating disorders; peer, family and

Dye5 cultural pressures to be thin, and other traumatic life experiences. Coaches who focus primarily on success and performance rather than on the athlete as a whole person" (nationaleatingdisorders.org). It's interesting to note that these factors can also be attributed to anyone with an eating disorder, low self esteem, pressure from friends, family and culture. The base line factors are all the same when case studies talk about how they developed an eating disorder. Most men talk about how they liked the sense of control purging gave them or the strict control they placed on their bodies by doing exercise. Once this gentleman and his family recognized there was a problem and their grandson needed treatment they started their search for a treatment center. The grandson's disorder was so severe that it would require a rehabilitation center where he could live and be monitored, change his eating habits and attitude towards food and exercise. Unfortunately the treatment centers here in Utah could not offer the type of service needed as they had programs for girls or women that included in-patient care but nothing that would help this young man. Treatment centers, in the state of Utah, that offer on-site rehabilitation for both men and women concentrate solely on drug and alcohol use. Services that cover therapist sessions, food nutrition and behavioral modification were for women only. There were a few services on an outpatient basis but would not have been sufficient to treat severe eating disorders. They were able to find a treatment option but it was 660 miles away in Arizona. The treatment center imbalance in regards to men and women with eating disorders resides in basic societal norms. Women are regarded, as the one most likely to develop an eating disorder therefore focus should be placed on developing treatment

Dye6 diagnoses and options for them. Men are left behind due to what seems to be evidence that they don't get eating disorders. I talked to co-workers and friends on the subject and most were surprised that there is an issue with men and eating disorders. One friend remarked "Men don't have eating disorders, maybe over eating, but that's not a disorder" This was a thought-provoking statement as overeating is actually an eating disorder. In most cases it leads to a purging disorder, but starts with binge eating. A neighbor, who confessed to being a recovering anorexic, had binders full of material from her treatment center. Regrettably all the information was for women. It's disheartening to see that amount of callous disregard this topic engenders in people, seemingly brought on by societal misconceptions. It seems clear that there is really no set idea as to why a person can develop an eating disorder. We know they exist, we know the pathology behind it's existence, but there is nothing that clearly defines when a man or woman can develop an eating disorder. All I could offer Mr. Salesman was my concern and sympathy for what his grandson and his family were facing in his treatment. What I came away from the conversation with, besides the vacuum, is the idea that men are just as susceptible to body dissatisfaction as women. Social mores and expectations look to be changing slowly but surely and soon that idea of eating disorders being a "women's only" disease will be gone.

Dye7 Works Cited Wade, T.D., Keski-Rahkonen A., & Hudgon J., Epidemiology of Eating Disorders. M.Tsuang and M.Then Online-Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology (2011, 3rd ed.), April 14, 2014 Walen, Andrew, Personal Interview. March 10, 2014 Psychological Bulletin. Eric Stice, 2002, April 14, 2014 Thoughts on NEDA, National Eating Disorder Association 2012, April 12, 2014 http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org The Media needs to do its Homework, Carrie Arnold, 2013, April 17, 2014 http://ed-bites.blogspot.com Biologically-Based Mental Illness, Eating Disorders, Sarah Ravin. 2010 April 17, 2014 http://drsarahravin.com Male Athletes Also Suffer From Body Image Problems Study, 2003, April 14, 2014 http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/maleathl.htm Athletes and Eating Disorders, 2011, April 12, 2014 http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org