How to Identify Eating Disorders in Boys

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Sections

1Understanding Eating Disorders

2Identifying Anorexia Nervosa

3Identifying Bulimia

4Identifying Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

5Identifying Pica

6Identifying Rumination Disorder (RD)

7Getting Help for Him and Being Supportive

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Are you worried that a male-identifying cousin, friend, brother, child, boyfriend, or another boy you know has an eating disorder? It can be hard to tell when somebody has an ED, but this How.com.vn will show you the most common eating disorders and how to know if he has one.

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Section 1 of 7:

Understanding Eating Disorders

1. 
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   Know that anyone can have an eating disorder. Avoid thinking that only girls or women have eating disorders. While eating disorders are more common in some groups, they can be common in boys, too. Some groups are even more at risk for having eating disorders than others, although regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, whether or not someone is neurodivergent, body size/weight, background, or ethnicity, anyone could have an eating disorder.
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   Keep in mind the risk factors that can play a role in eating disorders. As mentioned earlier, minority groups and certain people can be more likely to develop eating disorders, though many people think that eating disorders develop in cisgender girls more than anyone else, and/or only in people of certain body types. Here are some statistics that show facts of eating disorders and who is at a higher risk of developing one:

   • Black teenagers are 50% more likely than white teenagers to exhibit bulimic behavior, such as binge-eating and purging.
   • Hispanic people are significantly more likely to suffer from bulimia nervosa than their non-Hispanic peers.
   • Black people are less likely to be diagnosed with anorexia than white people, but they may experience the condition for a longer period of time.
   • Transgender college students report experiencing disordered eating at approximately four times the rate of their cisgender classmates.
   • Gender dysphoria and body dissatisfaction in transgender people is often cited as a key link to eating disorders.
   • 32% of transgender people report using their eating disorder to modify their body without hormones.
   • Gay and bisexual boys are significantly more likely to fast, vomit, or take laxatives or diet pills to control their weight.
   • Larger body size is both a risk factor for developing an eating disorder and a common outcome for people who struggle with bulimia and binge eating disorder.
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3. 3
   Know what can cause eating disorders. Eating disorders can be caused by many, different things such as bullying, stress, abuse, and so on. For example, a guy could develop an eating disorder from being fat shamed (i.e, someone telling a boy that he's fat or making negative comments about his body). Eating disorders are usually a way to cope with deeper feelings along with body size or weight.
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Section 2 of 7:

Identifying Anorexia Nervosa

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   Understand what anorexia is. Anorexia nervosa, often shortened to anorexia, is an eating disorder in which somebody is extremely scared of gaining weight and is underweight. People with anorexia have a distorted perception of weight and use various methods to avoid gaining weight and to lose more weight, such as abusing laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, enemas, and excessive exercise.

   Did You Know? Anorexia might be an eating disorder, but it isn't really about food. Anorexic people put a high value on their weight and link weight to their self worth. Anorexia is also often a way to feel in-control or deal with emotional problems (such as being bullied or family issues).
2. 2
   See if he's obsessed with his weight or terrified of gaining weight. It's a known fact that somebody with anorexia is very concerned or terrified of putting on weight. Notice if he is obsessed with how much he weighs and the way his body appears (looking into mirrors for a long time, often weighing himself on a scale, or mentions of how he feels about his body).
3. 3
   Notice if he often wears layers of clothing. People with anorexia often wear many layers of clothing, even during the summer or in hot weather, to hide the way their body looks. Pay attention to how he dresses—do you often find him in a hoodie or sweater? Do you always see him in long-sleeve shirts? This is an important part in spotting anorexia in boys, so pay close attention to it. It can also be a sign of negative body image if not a low weight.

   • Some people with anorexia don't always wear layers, but many do. The guy you are trying to spot anorexia in could simply be self conscious or he might just really like hoodies. See if recently started covering up his body or if he's always worn them.
4. 4
   See if he avoids eating around other people/in public. Many anorexic people feel guilt or shame around eating and only eat alone, and are secretive about their eating habits.

   • It's very common for anorexic people also deny eating food with excuses such as "I'm not hungry" or "I just ate".
   • An anorexic person may also appear "bony". For example, your boyfriend's cheekbones and arms might be protruding through his face and skin.
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   Take note of his exercising and eating habits. A major factor someone's eating disorder is their eating and exercising habits. Pay attention to where he goes after eating, and how he eats (if you ever see him eat).

   • It's very common for a boy with anorexia to exercise excessively to "burn off" the food/calories they ate and push his body past his limits by exercising for long periods of time. See if you often find him exercising or saying he's busy just to go work out.
   • A person with anorexia will cut off certain (or "bad") categories of food, like carbs, fats, or sugars to avoid gaining more weight.
6. 6
   Look for less noticeable signs of anorexia in boys. You should pay attention to smaller signs of anorexia if you want to know if a guy is anorexia. Look out for:

   • dramatic weight loss
   • brittle nails
   • high sensitivity to cold; always feeling cold; many complains about feeling cold
   • hair thinning or hair loss
7. 7
   Look for amenorrhea in trans boys. Not all guys with an eating disorder are cisgender. Some are transgender and have periods. Amenorrhea is a sign to look for if you think your trans son has anorexia and you're a parent. Notice if he has stopped asking for menstrual products or isn't using the products you've already bought. For example, occasionally check the trash can for menstrual hygiene packaging/wrapping to see if he has been using any.
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Section 3 of 7:

Identifying Bulimia

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   Know what bulimia looks like. Bulimia is less common in boys, but it can still occur in young men, and it is more common than anorexia. Bulimia typically begins with displeasure of one's weight and a fear of gaining more weight. Bulimia is an eating disorder where somebody consumes a large amount of food (with no sense of control), then use methods such as vomiting, excessive exercise, misusing laxatives/diuretics, fasting, and enemas.

   • After a binge, the person with bulimia will feel strong feelings of disgusted guilt. After purging (self-inducing vomiting), they will feel relieved.
2. 2
   Take a look at his teeth and mouth. This makes bulimia a little easier to spot than some other eating disorders, since teeth are visible when someone talks, smiles, or laughs. Frequent vomiting causes acid build up in the mouth which results in tooth decay, bleeding gums, erosion, and even loss of teeth over time.
3. 3
   Look at his hands. Not all guys with bulimia will purge (force themselves to vomit), but when a guy does, there are some visible, physical signs that are telling. Take a good look at his hand: what do you see? Someone who purges often will have calluses or irritation on their knuckles or back of the hands (from forced vomiting) which is also referred to as Russell's Sign.

   • When trying to identify earlier bulimia, the irritation or calluses might be less severe, but get worse over time.
4. 
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   Pay attention to an intense fear of gaining weight. People with eating disorders are usually very afraid of gaining weight and in-turn will use a variety of dangerous methods in order to avoid this. If you see a guy you know talking more about diets, eating, weight, and appearance, you should look into it. When he's talking about these topics, simply listen before doing anything—you might find out how he feels about his body or things he will do or does to lose weight.
5. 5
   Look for weakness, dehydration, and tiredness. Bulimia can be exhausting. After binging followed by purging, or excessive exercise, your son will very likely be physically weak and dehydrated. Due to electrolyte imbalances from purging, he will be lightheaded or have muscle weakness, and in severe cases, he might have cardiac irregularities.
6. 6
   Look at his face. People who are bulimic will have puffy cheeks or a puffy face (also known as "chipmunk cheeks"). When a person induces vomiting, the parotid glands, situated in the back of the mouth, create more saliva to protect the esophagus and mouth from stomach acid.
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   Look for amenorrhea in trans boys. Not all boys who suffer from bulimia are cisgender. Some are transgender and have menstrual cycles. If you suspect your trans son has bulimia and you are a parent, search for signs of amenorrhea in your child.

   • Take note if he has stopped asking for menstruation products or is not utilizing the ones you've previously purchased. Check the trash bin on a regular basis for menstrual hygiene packaging/wrapping to determine if he has been using any.
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Section 4 of 7:

Identifying Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

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   1
   Know what BED looks like in boys. Binge-eating disorder is characterized by someone frequently consuming very big amounts of food while feeling out of control and unable to stop eating. Many people who have BED are overweight. However, a guy with binge eating disorder might be at a normal weight. Many people with BED follow the restrict-binge cycle after bingeing. Someone has binge eating disorder if, for at least once a week over the past three months, they have binge eaten.

   • Note that teens are at higher risk for binge eating disorder, since stress eating or emotional eating can gradually become binge eating disorder.

   What's the difference between BED and bulimia?' A person with bulimia or BED will feel guilty or ashamed about the fact they binged. However, somebody with BED won't use methods to "burn off the calories" with laxatives, excessive exercise, etc. Although, it's important to note that both disorders can be life-threatening and equally serious.
2. 2
   See if he often eats large amounts of food rapidly. At dinner, for example, he might have somewhat of a "buffet" (i.e, a bowl of noodles, half a pizza, and two slices of cake). A binge eater will eat large amounts of food rapidly (within 2 hours) and more than the average person would eat in one mealtime.
3. 3
   Notice what kind of food he eats. Almost all binge eaters don't eat foods on the nutritious side. They will binge on sweets, processed foods such as pizza, burgers, pasta/noodles, and similar foods. However, this isn't a very telling sign of binge eating disorder—he might just really like those foods, or he might eat healthily at other times, but you only see him eat "unhealthy" foods.
4. 4
   Look for signs of guilt or shame after eating. Not all people with BED experience guilt after a binge, but most do. After eating large sums of food, he might say things such as "I wish I didn't eat all that food," or "I'm so disgusting". Shame and embarrassment is a big part of BED.
5. 5
   See if you find large amounts of food gone. Many guys with BED will binge eat in secret order to hide their "habit" from others. This is a step parents especially should take if they think their son has binge eating disorder. Take a look in the pantry, cabinets, and the fridge for abnormally large amounts of food missing (that you didn't see him eat).

   • Check for food under his bed and in his room. However, only do this if you are highly concerned that he might have binge eating disorder. If he finds out you went through his room looking for things, he will probably be hurt and lose trust in you.
6. 6
   Pay attention to weight gain. As mentioned previously, most binge eaters are overweight or obese. If they guy you are trying to see if has binge eating disorder is constantly, visibly gaining weight or you have to keep buying him new clothes, he might have BED.
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Section 5 of 7:

Identifying Pica

1. 1
   Know what pica looks like in boys. Pica is when someone eats non-edible items that aren't appropriate for the person's age (i.e, a child eating a crayon or glue once wouldn't be considered pica since it's normal for a kid to do this). Individuals with pica might eat things such as dirt, paint chips, soap, clay, rocks, feces, paper, paint, hair, and so on. Pica isn't typically seen as a possibly fatal condition, but it can become serious if the items the person eats cause health problems like iron-deficiency, intestinal infections, or stomach pain.

   • Pica is a rare condition, and most often seen in individuals with OCD, schizophrenia, malnutrition, or intellectual disabilities (such as autism). Someone must eat non-edible items for at least a month to be diagnosed with this. Pica is also seen in young children and pregnant people but is often outgrown. Adequate and proper nutrition might help children keep from developing it, but pica can't be prevented.
2. 2
   See if he eats non-food items. Pica is one of the easiest eating disorders to identify since it's striking and abnormal to eat items that aren't food. If you see your son or a young boy you know eat something that is non-edible, take him to a doctor that specializes in youth with eating disorders to uncover the deeper cause(s) of pica.
3. 3
   Discourage your child from eating non-edible things. Remind your child that eating items such as grass, dirt, clay, hair can cause an upset tummy and isn't healthy. If you see your son eating a non-edible item, gently suggest that they don't eat it and take him away from the area. Encourage him to eat something edible instead, such as fruit.
4. 4
   Make sure your child is getting proper nutrition. Proper nutrition can sometimes lessen the possibility of children getting pica. Talk to your child's doctor to know what and how much your son should be eating, and to make sure he is healthy and has a lower risk for developing pica.
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Section 6 of 7:

Identifying Rumination Disorder (RD)

1. 1
   Know what rumination disorder looks like. Rumination disorder is a type of disordered eating in which someone regularly regurgitates food. The regurgitated food will be chewed, spit out, then chewed again, re-swallowed, or simply spit out. One must follow this eating "routine" for at least a month without it co-occurring with another eating disorder (or the person having a gastrointestinal disease) in order to have rumination disorder.

   • While regurgitating food, the person with RD with not be disgusted or upset with the regurgitation, and it will seem like this process is "automatic".
   • Similar to the eating disorder pica, it's most common in children/infants and is often caused by severe stress or neglect.
   • Rumination disorder can cause aspiration pneumonia, stomach diseases, ulcers, and other respiratory problems. It can even lead to choking and sometimes death in serious cases.
2. 2
   Note that rumination disorder is most common in children and infants. Rumination disorder is much more common in very young children and infants, and it's rare in older kids, teens, and adults. It's more likely that a child 3 to 12 months old has RD, and it is also more common in children with intellectual disabilities.
3. 3
   Notice if he regularly regurgitates food. See if your child regurgitates food that he has swallowed/chewed by making himself vomit, coughing it up, or simply spitting it out.
4. 4
   See if he's losing weight. Most people with rumination disorder don't get enough nutrition or calories and therefore lose weight. See if he's losing weight, as this is a big sign of a boy having RD.
5. 5
   Look for failure in a young boy to grow. Due to RD, young children won't get enough nutrition and will likely reach failure to grow to an average height for their age. There will also be a failure to "thrive" which can be caused by malnutrition.
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   See if he's having stomach aches and indigestion. Constant stomachaches and indigestion are a part of someone having rumination disorder, since, as mentioned earlier food is typically coughed up, vomited out, etc.
7. 7
   Check for raw or chapped lips. Raw or chapped lips are part of rumination disorder. Chapped lips might not mean a child has RD, however, combined with other signs of this eating disorder, it's likely that they have it.
8. 8
   Take a look at his teeth. Bad breath and tooth decay are another common result of rumination disorder. Take a look at his teeth and see if he often has bad breath or has tooth decay.
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Section 7 of 7:

Getting Help for Him and Being Supportive

1. 
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   Get him diagnosed before getting treatment for him. Before getting treatment for him, you should get him diagnosed with an eating disorder in order to know what specific treatment is needed. For example, for anorexic teens, cognitive behavioral therapy might be recommended, while medications might be suggested for a young person with bulimia.
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   Avoid waiting to get treatment. Once he is diagnosed with an eating disorder, you should take action to get treatment for him. This is step is directed towards parents and partners with a son/boyfriend with an ED. Studies show that up to 20% of all eating disorder cases result in death without treatment. Most eating disorders are life-threatening, therefore you should get help for him before things get worse or fatal.

   • If you can't get him treatment yourself, encourage him to get treatment, or his family to get treatment for him.
3. 
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   Make sure not to keep it a secret. If the guy you know tells you he has an eating disorder or you are worried he has one, tell somebody you trust that can help him. Whether you're the friend or partner of this certain guy, you should never, ever keep an eating disorder a secret. It might be a good idea to keep the ED a secret now because you don't want to betray his trust, but you'll regret not telling anyone later when things get very serious or he dies. Tell a trusted adult who can help or get help for him.
4. 
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   Avoid making things worse with what you say to him. Making an eating disorder worse with things you say can make it harder for him to get treatment. Avoid saying:

   • Phrases relating to his eating habits; "Why don't you just eat? It's just food–it won't kill you,” or "Everything would be fine if you just ate normally."
   • Diet related comments; “You’re still not eating enough,” “Are you on a diet?” “You’re eating too much,”
   • Comments relating to his physical appearance; “No one likes a bony/fat person,” "No one likes the look of skin and bones,"
   • Statements remarking on how much you want to be like him; “I hate the way my body looks–you’re lucky to be so skinny,” “I wish I had self-control like you.”
5. 5
   Refrain from self-diagnosing him. Simply because the guy you know is very skinny or overweight doesn't mean he has anorexia or binge eating disorder. Just because a guy you know skips a couple meals doesn’t mean he is anorexic. Let a health professional diagnose him, instead of diagnosing him yourself based on his looks or behavior. Not only is self-diagnosing him unhelpful, but it can cause anxiety for the guy over the way his body looks (especially if he doesn't actually have an ED).
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   Be patient. Don't rush his recovery. Just remember–all good things take time. Eating disorder recovery doesn’t happen over night. An ED can be an everlasting battle, because many things can trigger the recovering person. The process of psychological healing and recovery is different for everybody. Be supportive through his whole recovery and celebrate the small things he achieves, such as eating a little more food than usual.

   • In order for someone to recover from an eating disorder, they will need the support of family and friends. Stick by his side and be there for his recovery journey.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  What is the difference between bulimia nervosa and rumination disorder?

  

  Ski

  Community Answer

  Bulimia is an eating disorder where somebody consumes a large amount of food (with no sense of control), then use methods such as vomiting, excessive exercise, misusing laxatives/diuretics, fasting, and enemas, while rumination disorder is a type of disordered eating in which someone regularly regurgitates food.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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• Question

  So, my brother is quite skinny and sometimes the bathroom smells like puke. I'm pretty sure he has bulimia. When I confronted him he got super defensive--does this mean he has an eating disorder?

  

  Nico

  Top Answerer

  He most likely has bulimia or another eating disorder. The bathroom smelling like puke and him being skinnier than most guys his age could be signs of bulimia. Check for other signs such as your brother being obsessed with his weight, his knuckles and fingers having calluses (from self-induced vomiting) or excessive exercise, puffy cheeks, bad dental health, low energy, and dehydration. Talk to your parents about your concerns so he can get evaluated for an eating disorder and treated if he needs treatment.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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• Question

  I think my live-in boyfriend might have anorexia. He's very skinny and I don't really see him eat. How do I know if he has anorexia?

  

  Nico

  Top Answerer

  Try to look for other signs of anorexia: see how he feels/talks about his weight, pay attention to things he might be stressed or worried about (since anorexia can develop from emotional issues), notice his behavior around scales and mirrors, see if he exercises excessively but eats very little, etc. (Look at the "Identifying Anorexia" part in the article). Later, sit down and talk to him about your concerns; observe his reaction. After this, consider seeing a healthcare provider with him for a physical exam and psychological evaluation to see if he has an eating disorder or other concern.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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In-Depth Guides on Spotting an Eating Disorder

Tell if Someone Is Anorexic
Tell if Someone Is Bulimic
Recognize Pica
Spot an Eating Disorder in Someone You Know
Spot Early Eating Disorder Warning Signs in Teens