We do not often encounter men with eating disorders, but eating disorders are not a disease specific to women and girls. A quarter of those with anorexia and bulimia are men, and 40 percent of binge eaters are men.
Legendary singer, songwriter and pianist Elton John said he had bulimic disease for 16 years until he sought treatment for himself in 1990. He said he had a cocaine addiction. He said that he denied his condition until he was convinced of treatment and thought it was something he could fix on his own.
In an interview with Larry King in 2002, Elton John said that the moment he said the words "I need help," he knew he would get better. he said. His personal battle with bulimia – and his openness about it – has been instrumental in raising public awareness about how eating disorders can affect men.
What is Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa?
Anorexia Nervosa (AN ) is when a person goes on an extreme diet, claiming that they are overweight. The disease first begins as a simple desire to lose weight and diet and gets worse over time. In order to talk about the existence of this disease, a person must be obsessed with being overweight, follow a heavy diet, lose excessive weight, refuse to accept that they are thin, and have menstrual disorders in women. Some patients take very little food, and some force themselves to vomit after taking food. Some patients use diarrheal medications or even hormone medications to lose weight. Most people with AN disease typically have symptoms such as introversion, perfectionism, excessive tension and harsh self-criticism, depression, and problems in personality development.
AN is seen in approximately one in every hundred people in the whole society. Approximately 90% of people with this disease in society are women. As you can see, it is seen among men, although less frequently. Patients are often between 18-20 years old. This disease is more common in societies with high income and education levels, that is, in situations where individuals have high expectations from themselves. In the world, especially after the 60s, an increasing number of people are encountered with impaired health due to AN. r. Therefore, it is not without reason that this disease is mentioned more and more in the media.
The initial cause of this disease is not clear. AN sometimes has a familial feature, that is, other sick people can be seen in the sick person's family. In some cases, this disease may be triggered by family conflicts or social relationship disorders, such as breaking up with a boyfriend. The disease may persist for months or even years. As AN gets worse, menstruation stops, and almost all organs begin to be affected due to malnutrition and fluid loss in the body. Osteoporosis, disruption of salt balance in the blood and some hormone disorders occur. These patients' appetite does not decrease until they become very weak, but they consume less food.
In this disease, over time, the vital functions of the heart and kidneys are affected, which is the beginning of the end for the patients. The heart muscles become thinner and their contraction power weakens. Heart rhythm disturbances may occur. Symptoms of kidney failure may occur due to decreased blood flow and body fluids to the kidneys. Patients may become increasingly depressed and suicidal. The sooner treatment starts, the more effective it will be. Unfortunately, improvement during treatment does not occur quickly; just as the disease lasts for years, it may take months or even years to get positive results from the treatment. In severe cases, inpatient treatment may be required.
Anorexia Nervosa DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria:
1- The attitude of restricting energy intake according to needs, a body that is significantly lower in the context of the person's age, gender, developmental path and physical health. causes weight. It is defined as markedly low body weight, below the lowest normal or expected for children and adolescents.
2- Being very afraid of gaining weight or becoming fat, or constantly engaging in behaviors that make it difficult to gain weight despite having a significant body weight.
3- There is a disturbance in how the person perceives their body weight or shape. When evaluating himself, the person attaches undue importance to body weight and shape, or he or she never realizes the importance of the current low body weight.
Bulimia Nervosa patients consume large amounts of food in frequently recurring eating attacks. They often choose high-calorie foods that are high in sugar, carbohydrates and fat, eat very quickly, and sometimes swallow the food without tasting it. During eating spells, patients feel out of control. After the seizure, this behavior is followed by compensating for: starvation, vomiting, using excessive amounts of laxatives or diuretics, excessive exercise, or a combination of these behaviors. They usually act out bulimic behaviors secretly due to feelings of disgust or shame. The patient's vomiting after every meal brings with it medical problems.
Bulimia Nervosa DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria:
- More than normal in a 2-hour period. consuming large amounts of food,
- Feeling of loss of control during an eating attack,
The symptoms of the disease in the body are as follows;
- Chronically red and sore throat,
- Swelling of the salivary glands in the neck and glands under the chin,
- Swelling of the cheeks and face, creating a "squirrel"-like appearance,
- Dissolution of tooth enamel and decay of teeth due to contact with stomach acids,
- Deterioration of the stomach valve and reflux due to constant vomiting,
- Intestinal irritation and problems due to laxative use,
- Kidney diseases due to diuretic drugs,
- Problems due to fluid loss.
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