Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Eating Disorders in Males

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Hidden and Lesser-known Disordered Eating Behaviors in Medical and Psychiatric Conditions

  • 1131 Accesses

Abstract

Eating disorders have been historically considered as female gender-bound diseases.

In fact, males appear to be affected by eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa, to a lesser extent than females, but the origin of this gender dimorphism is still unclear.

Etiology of the eating disorder appears to be related to psychological and socio-cultural issues but also to biological mechanisms such as genetic, neuronal, and hormonal factors.

Especially in the last decades, genetic and epigenetic factors have been recognized to play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of AN.

In our chapter, after a brief description of epidemiologic and clinical aspects of eating disorders in males, we give an update about main research studies on the role of genetic and epigenetic factors and their interaction in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa with a particular focus on males.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Candidate gene is a predefined gene of interest that may be associated with a phenotype or disease of specific most often selected on the basis of a biological hypothesis.

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Hudson J, Hiripi E, Pope H, Kessler R. The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Biol Psychiatry. 2007;61:348–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Raevuori A, Keski-Rahkonen A, Hoek HW. A review of eating disorders in males. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2014;27(6):426–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Weltzin T. Eating disorders in men: Update. J Men’s Health Gender. 2005;2:186–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Manzato E, Zanetti T, Gualandi M, Strumia R. Eating disorders in males. New York: Nova Science Publishers Inc; 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Jaworski M, et al. Eating disorders in males: a 8-year population-based observational study. Am J Mens Health. 2019;13(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988319860970.

  7. Murray SB, et al. The enigma of male eating disorders: a critical review and synthesis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2017;57:1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kostecka B, Kordyńska KK, Murawiec S, Kucharska K. Distorted body image in women and men suffering from Anorexia Nervosa—a literature review. Arch Psychiatry Psychother. 2019;1:13–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Strother E, Lemberg R, Stanford SC, Turberville D. Eating disorders in men: underdiagnosed, undertreated, and Misunderstood. Eat Disord. 2012;20(5):346–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pope H, Phillips K, Olivardia R. The Adonis complex: how to identify, treat, and prevent body obsession in men and boys. New York, NY: Touchstone; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Halliwell E, Dittmar H, Orsborn A. The effects of exposure to muscular male models among men: exploring the moderating role of gym use and exercise motivation. Body Image. 2007;4(3):278–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fredericka DA, et al. The happy American body: predictors of affective body satisfaction in two U.S. national internet panel surveys. Body Image. 2020;32:70–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Manzato E, Gravina G. Body image in males with eating and weight disorders. In: Cuzzolaro M, Fassino S, editors. Body image, eating, and weight. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cohane GH, Pope HG Jr. Body image in boys: a review of the literature. Int J Eat Disord. 2001;29:373–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. McCabe MP, Ricciardelli LA. Sociocultural influences on body image and body changes among adolescent boys and girls. J Soc Psychol. 2003;143:5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Andersen A. Eating disorders in males: critical questions. In: Lemberg R, Cohn L, editors. Eating disorders: a reference sourcebook. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press; 1999. p. 73–9.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Gueguen J, Godart N, Chambry J, et al. Severe anorexia nervosa in men: comparison with severe AN in women and analysis of mortality. Int J Eat Disord. 2012;45:537–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Rastogi R, Rome ES. Restrictive eating disorders in previously overweight adolescents and young adults. Cleve Clin J Med. 2020;88(3):165–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Shu CY, et al. Clinical presentation of eating disorders in young males at a tertiary setting. J Eat Disord. 2015;3:39–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Striegel-Moore RH, Garvin V, Dohm FA, Rosenheck RA. Psychiatric comorbidity of eating disorders in men: a national study of hospitalized veterans. Int J Eat Disord. 1999;25:399–404.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Strong SM, Williamson DA, Netemeyer RG, Geer JH. Eating disorder symptoms and concerns about body differ as a function of gender and sexual orientation. J Soc Clin Psychol. 2000;19:240–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Jones WR, Morgan JF. Eating disorders in men: a review of the literature. J Public Ment Health. 2010;9:23–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Mensinger JL, et al. Sexual and gender minority individuals report higher rates of abuse and more severe eating disorder symptoms than cisgender heterosexual individuals at admission to eating disorder treatment. Int J Eat Disord. 2020;53:541–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Steinhausen H-C, Jensen CM. Time trends in lifetime incidence rates of first-time diagnosed anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa across 16 years in a Danish nationwide psychiatric registry study. Int J Eat Disord. 2015;48:845–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Gurling H. Candidate genes and favoured loci: strategies for molecular genetic research into schizophrenia, maniac depression, autism, alcoholism and Alzheimer’s disease. Psychiatr Dev. 1986;4:289–3091.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Thornton LM, et al. The heritability of eating disorders: methods and current findings. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2011;(6):141–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2010_91.

  27. Yilmaz Z, et al. Genetics and epigenetics of eating disorders. Adv Genomics Genet. 2015;5:131–50. https://doi.org/10.2147/AGG.S55776.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Dellava JE, et al. Impact of broadening definitions of anorexia nervosa on sample characteristics. J Psychiatr Res. 2011;45(5):691–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bulik CM, et al. Prevalence, heritability, and prospective risk factors for anorexia nervosa. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006;63:305–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Strober M, et al. Males with anorexia nervosa: a controlled study of eating disorders in first-degree relatives. Int J Eat Disord. 2001;29:263–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Raevuori A, et al. Lifetime anorexia nervosa in young men in the community: five cases and their co-twins. Int J Eat Disord. 2008;41(5):458–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Baker JH, et al. Genetic risk factors for disordered eating in adolescent males and females. J Abnorm Psychol. 2009;118(3):576–86. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016314.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Klump KL, et al. Genetic and environmental influences on disordered eating: an adoption study. Abnorm Psychol. 2009;118(4):797–805. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Manzato E, et al. Anorexia nervosa: an update on genetic, biological and clinical aspects in males. Ital J Gender-Specific Med. 2017;3(2):59–70.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Himmerich H, et al. Genetic risk factors for eating disorders: an update and insights into pathophysiology. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2019;9:1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125318814734.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Wang K, et al. A genome-wide association study on common SNPs and rare CNVs in anorexia nervosa. Mol Psychiatry. 2011;16:949–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Boraska V, et al. A genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa. Mol Psychiatry. 2014;19:1085–94.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Duncan L, et al. Significant locus and metabolic genetic correlations revealed in genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa. Am J Psychiatry. 2017;174:850–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Watson H, et al. Genome-wide association study identifies eight risk loci and implicates metabo-psychiatric origins for anorexia nervosa. Nat Genet. 2019;51(8):1207–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-019-0439-2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Sullivan PF, et al. Genetic architectures of psychiatric disorders: the emerging picture and its implications. Nat Rev Genet. 2012;13:537–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Hübel C, Marzi SJ, Breen G, Bulik CM. Epigenetics in eating disorders: a systematic review. Mol Psychiatry. 2019;24(6):901–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Lombardo MV, et al. Fetal programming effects of testosterone on the reward system and behavioral approach tendencies in humans. Biol Psychiatry. 2012a;72:839–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Procopio M, Marriott P. Intrauterine hormonal environment and risk of developing anorexia Nervosa. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64(12):1402–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Culbert KM, et al. The emergence of sex differences in risk for disordered eating attitudes during puberty: a role for prenatal testosterone exposure. J Abnorm Psychol. 2013;122:420–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Smith AR, et al. The measure of a man: associations between digit ratio and disordered eating in males. Int J Eat Disord. 2010;43:543–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20736.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Klump KL, et al. The effects of puberty on genetic risk for disordered eating: evidence for a sex difference. Psychol Med. 2012;42(3):627–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291711001541.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Zerwas S, Bulik CM. Genetics and epigenetics of eating disorders. Psychiatr Ann. 2011;41(11):532–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eating Disorder Center-Casa di Cura San Rossore Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Gravina

  2. Day Hospital of Internal Medicine and Eating Disorders, University Hospital S. Anna, Ferrara, Italy

    Malvina Gualandi

  3. University of Ferrara, Eating and Weight Disorders Center “L’Albero”, Private Hospital “Salus”, Ferrara, Italy

    Emilia Manzato

Authors
  1. Giovanni Gravina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Malvina Gualandi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Emilia Manzato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanni Gravina .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Private Hospital "Salus" of Ferrara, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

    Emilia Manzato

  2. Formerly Sapienza University of Rome, Founding Editor of Eating and Weight Disorders, Campiglia Marittima, Livorno, Italy

    Massimo Cuzzolaro

  3. Experimental Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Editor-in-Chief of Eating and Weight Disorders, Roma, Roma, Italy

    Lorenzo Maria Donini

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Gravina, G., Gualandi, M., Manzato, E. (2022). Eating Disorders in Males. In: Manzato, E., Cuzzolaro, M., Donini, L.M. (eds) Hidden and Lesser-known Disordered Eating Behaviors in Medical and Psychiatric Conditions . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81174-7_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81174-7_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-81173-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-81174-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation