Stigma and discrimination has devastating effects on those living with Eating Disorders. Contrary to popular opinion, women are not the only ones affected. Men and children suffer too.
Dear Readers,
I’ve been getting lots of messages from Muslim Men who are suffering from various Eating Disorders. Most of them are in their late teens. and some are in their mid twenties. The ones who are in their mid twenties are the ones who’ve slipped through the loop and have lived with their illness since their teen years. Most of them feel discriminated, as Eating Disorders are mainly projected as illness affecting only females. The first time I encountered a case of Muslim Male Eating Disorder was back in 2013, and it shocked me. The teenage boy suffered from anorexia and exercise addiction. He was lucky to have a family that was very supportive, and could afford private help. I then published a blog post on Muslim Male anorexia, a case study from Iraq, where a team of psychiatrists analysed the disturbed eating patterns in young males. That was a real eye opener, but it didn’t do much to bring the problem of eating disorders to the forefront. In late 2013, I received many messages from men who suffered from Binge Eating Disorder. In 2014, most Muslim Male visitors who contacted me were suffering from Bulimia and Exercise addiction. I managed to interview one person from Dubai on bigorexia. I’ve been contacted by fathers and mothers regarding their sons ‘ disturbed or strange eating habits. In 2015 especially during Ramadan, the traffic on the blog was insane. It was shocking to see how widespread Eating Disorders are in the Muslim community. I convinced one recovered Male Bulimic to share his story with our readers. He agreed after much persuasion. It was his wife, who was very supportive and felt perhaps with a few changes, we could share his story with our readers. The story went through many editing sessions, and at the end we decided, “Let’s publish the original content in series, so readers don’t get bored.” I thank him for sharing his struggles with us.
Andrew Flintoff; English Cricketer, also struggled with Bulimia. According to Flintoff, it was his wife Rachel that helped him fight eating disorder. He hit the weight of 17st 12Ib due to poor diet and excessive drinking. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Flintpof talked about his cycle of binge eating and purging through self induced vomiting- even when he was playing international matches.
One Male visitor to blog from Egypt said: “I decided to open up about my illness, when I confided to my friends, they looked at me strangely and told me to man up”.
For me personally, the stunning case of male Eating Disorder was from the Pakistani Fashion industry, a male model that’s in deep grips of body image issues, and semi anorexia. His problem now is his obsession with his appearance, and some of the taunts he receives from fellow models/actors “you are like a girl, you eat like a girl, you look like a girl, are you sure you’re a man?” etc. He came across my blog whilst searching for healthy breakfast ideas and made some queries. I doubt he’ll ever go for help. “My main diet is salad. my whole family is in this industry. I am no longer hungry, but I do check myself in the mirror 10-12 times a day on average, perhaps it’s not normal to obsess over your hair, your body, your face, but I am obsessed. I’m in my early twenties and when I hit thirties, I still want to look the same. People will always comment, they’ll always be jealous, it doesn’t bother me the least, what does bother me is gaining even a fraction of extra weight.” Male Model/Actor Pakistan.
So this is established; Eating Disorders don’t discriminate, and affect Muslim Men too. Now the big question is, what are we going to do about this? Are we going to remain silent and allow the men to suffer in silence, or are we going to take a step forward, and see this illness for what it is? an illness without boundaries, without borders. An illness that is menacing in its very essence, and affects people of all ages, gender and socio economic status.
Some facts about Male Eating Disorders
About 800,000 men have suffered from bulimia at some point in their lives. (NEDA)
Up to 20 percent of those who are diagnosed with an eating disorder are male. The numbers may be even higher because so many men hide in the shadow of the disorder, suffering in shame and silence. (NEDA)
Men are less likely than women to consider themselves overweight, or in need of dieting. While girls often feel fat before they begin dieting, boys are more likely to be overweight, usually in the mild to moderate range, when they begin to diet. (ANAD)
Doctors are reportedly less likely to make a diagnosis of eating disorders in males than females. (ANAD)
Other adults, who work with young people and parents, also may be less likely to suspect an eating disorder in boys, thereby delaying detection and treatment. (ANAD)
Brian Cube said in his article for Huff post: Men need to put an end to this stigma, and create a voice to let the world know that we also are affected by these potentially deadly issues. It’s not an easy thing to do. The biggest barrier is fighting through the shame.
Let’s break the silence, let’s support our Men. It’s hard enough to convince Muslims that Eating Disorders are no longer a strictly White Middle Class disease, and affect Muslims too, but I know together we can put a united front and spread the awareness of this timely disease and put an end to stigma. We have a battle on our hands, but it’s a battle that can be won.
If your suffering from an Eating Disorder, then please seek immediate help. Don’t forget early intervention can save your life.
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