Anorexia Nervosa in Males

Anorexia nervosa is a severe, life-threatening disorder in which the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight, and exhibits a significant distortion in the perception of the shape or size of his body, as well as dissatisfaction with his body shape and size.

Behavioral Characteristics:

• Excessive dieting, fasting, restricted diet
• Food rituals
• Preoccupation with body building, weight lifting, or muscle toning •
• Compulsive exercise
• Difficulty eating with others, lying about eating
• Frequently weighing self
• Preoccupation with food
• Focus on certain body parts; e.g., buttocks, thighs, stomach
• Disgust with body size or shape
• Distortion of body size; i.e., feels fat even though others tell him he is already very thin

Emotional and Mental Characteristics:

• Intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight
• Depression
• Social isolation
• Strong need to be in control
• Rigid, inflexible thinking, “all or nothing”
• Decreased interest in sex or fears around sex
• Possible conflict over gender identity or sexual orientation
• Low sense of self worth — uses weight as a measure of worth
• Difficulty expressing feelings
• Perfectionistic — strives to be the neatest, thinnest, smartest, etc.
• Difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating
• Irritability, denial — believes others are overreacting to his low weight or caloric restriction
• Insomnia

Physical Characteristics:

• Low body weight (15% or more below what is expected for age, height, activity level)
• Lack of energy, fatigue
• Muscular weakness
• Decreased balance, unsteady gait
• Lowered body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate
• Tingling in hands and feet
• Thinning hair or hair loss
• Lanugo (downy growth of body hair)
• Heart arrhythmia
• Lowered testosterone levels