Health Risks Affecting Obese Men: Understanding Factors Affecting Male Sufferers of Eating Disorders

What is obesity, how does the condition affect men and which forms of treatment approaches may help?

Although obesity is not officially recognised as being an eating disorder many health professionals working in the field have identified that this condition often overlaps with eating disorders such as bulimia, binge eating and anorexia.

What is Obesity?

An individual is considered to be obese if their body mass index (BMI) falls above BMI 30 and between BMI 25-30 they may be classified as being in the overweight category while the healthy category lies between BMI 20-25. Body mass index may be established through dividing one's weight in kilograms by one's height (in metres) squared. A simpler alternative method involves using an online BMI calculator.

Another method of discovering whether a man is obese is to take a waist measurement - a 40 inch waist would indicate obesity.

How Does Obesity Physically Affect Men?

Obesity is recognised to affect approximately one in five adult men and is either directly or indirectly responsible for a wide range of health problems including the following: heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and increased risk of strokes. The condition is also identified as impacting men differently to women resulting in excess fat in certain areas of the body especially in the abdomen area often referred to as a "beer belly."

In The Invisible Man, John Morgan explains how men may come to be obese as a result of a combination of different factors including physical illness, lifestyle changes, genetics and mental health state.

Psychological Implications of Obesity in Men

As the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, those with obesity may be recognised as "wearing" their distress as it is usually easy to identify a man at either extreme. The obese man may suffer from low self-esteem, shame and guilt which unsurprisingly serve to maintain the self-destructive cycle.

Society as a whole may often judge others on appearance, thus the stigma of obesity may impact upon all areas of the sufferer's life such as relationships, employment, career progression and social life. In addition research studies have recognised the condition as perceived to be more of a disability than other illness such as diabetes, heart disease or those who have lost a limb.

Treatment of Obesity in Men

Males affected by obesity may be more likely to benefit from making certain changes to their lifestyle than women. For example, simply reducing one's alcohol consumption may make a big impact, especially when this is combined with regular exercise. Reducing one's dinner plate to a smaller size will also be a simple yet effective change.

In addition to self-help, some men suffering from obesity may benefit from professional support such as talking treatments often in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Another option may involve surgery or the use of prescription weight loss medication.

As recognised above, obesity is a serious health issues and has major implications for both men and women. Due to the fact that obesity often runs in families, it is important for the whole family to be involved in establishing both healthy eating patterns and regular exercise.

For More Information

The following is a Health Canada Publication:

Adult Obesity in Canada: Measured Height and Weight by Michael Tjepkema