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Eating disorders have long been perceived to occur primarily in women; few disorders in general medicine or psychiatry exhibit such a skew in gender distribution. Men and women with eating disorders share common risk factors and exhibit some overlap in clinical presentation, but important differences do exist. Determining which factors best explain these differences remain uncertain. Furthermore, despite a marked increase in the incidence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in women over the last 50 years, the awareness of eating disorders in men remains low. This is in spite of the fact that men represent 10‐20% of cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and up to 40% of cases of binge eating disorder. Similarly, recent research has focused on the assumption and stereotype that eating disorders in men are associated with homosexuality, when male body image objectification and body dissatisfaction are also widespread in younger heterosexual men who are being increasingly confronted with the same impossible body image ideals that already challenge women and gay men. The stigma of being a man with an eating disorder continues, and we persist in attempting to fit men with eating disorders into a theoretical and clinical framework largely focused on the physical, psychological, and emotional development of women. This article reviews the literature on eating disorders in men and explores the factors that may explain this gender discrepancy.

Eating disorders are not simply about food — they run much deeper. Although they are predominantly a female complaint, men too are known to suffer. The two prime expressions of this, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are described and treatments explored. As with many similar personality‐based illnesses, the main thrust to recovery must come from a change of outlook on the part of the individual.

ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are eating disorders which are only found in western societies, and they are conditions which affect young Caucasians, primarily girls and young women. They are also more common among the higher socio‐economic groups. For example, the incidence among girls in private education is thought to be 1%, but fewer girls are affected in state education.

Medical research indicates a prevalence of approximately 1 per cent for both anorexia and bulimia nervosa among adolescent females, with most new cases diagnosed in mid‐ to late adolescence. This age group embraces the upper end of the secondary school population. Based on the current prevalence rates, it is likely that in a typical comprehensive school of between 1,500 and 2,000 pupils, up to 20 could have an eating disorder. Larger numbers of pupils will have developed some of the symptoms of an eating disorder. These may include restricting food intake, weight loss, self‐induced vomiting, chewing and spitting out food, and bouts of chaotic overeating. While these do not constitute all the symptoms necessary to make a diagnosis of eating disorder, they may be regarded as either a “subclinical” variation of the illness or the early manifestation of an eating disorder. For many pupils, the antecedents of an eating disorder will be in place at a very young age. The number of pupils suffering from eating disorders and the long‐term co‐existing diseases (such as osteoporosis) which develop as a result of them raise a number of important issues for schools and teachers working with secondary school aged‐pupils ‐ particularly, the role schools and teachers should play in the prevention, early detection and intervention of eating disorders.

To evaluate the effectiveness of an adaptation of Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy (IPT-G), in facilitating short- and longer-term improvements in eating disorder symptomology, psychosocial impairment, anxiety, depression and attachment difficulties among adults living with overweight and diagnosed with binge eating disorder (BED).

In total, 24 participants completed measures at the start of IPT-G, mid-treatment, discharge and six-month follow-up. Quantitative outcomes were analysed utilising one-way repeated measures analysis of variance.

Treatment retention was 100%. Significant improvements in binge-eating frequency, psychosocial impairment and depression were achieved at mid-treatment and maintained at post-treatment and six-month follow-up, and with large effect sizes. Attachment anxiety had reduced significantly at post-treatment and was maintained at six-month review. Body mass index (BMI) had stabilised by mid-treatment and was maintained at post-treatment and six-month follow-up. All hypotheses were supported, with the exception that attachment avoidance did not improve significantly and following a post-treatment reduction, anxiety symptoms deteriorated slightly by six-month follow-up, such that they were no longer significantly different from pre-treatment levels.

Despite being the most prevalent of the eating disorders (compared to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa), BED is under-recognised and under-treated in clinical settings. Results indicate the sustained effectiveness of IPT-G in improving eating disorder and comorbid symptomology associated with BED.

This is the first UK study to investigate the effectiveness of IPT-G at treating BED. Unlike previous studies in the field, this study did not exclude participants based on age, BMI or psychiatric comorbidity.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a specialist UK day treatment programme (DTP), in terms of whether improvements in eating disorder symptomology and psychosocial impairment achieved at discharge were maintained at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups.

A total of 69 patients (aged 16+) with eating disorders who had received treatment in the DTP were reviewed at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups, using demographic, physiological and psychological measures. Quantitative outcomes were analysed using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance.

Data analysis revealed that significant improvements in eating disordered attitudes, body mass index (among underweight participants), binge frequency (among participants with those symptoms) and psychosocial impairment achieved at discharge, were also maintained at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups, and with large effect sizes. All hypotheses were supported, with the exception that frequency of vomiting symptoms had deteriorated at the 12-month follow-up and was no longer significantly different from vomiting frequency on admission.

Results provide support for the sustained effectiveness of DTPs in improving eating disorder symptoms and psychosocial impairment associated with eating disorders. This is the first study to evaluate the effectiveness of a UK DTP for adults at maintaining improvements to eating disorder symptoms and attitudes at follow-up.

Current western society promotes a strong desirability to be thin. The majority of young females are unhappy with their body shape and wish to be thinner. This can lead to many health problems such as addictive exercising, depression and disordered eating. It is also established that certain groups tend to be more prone to body image dissatisfaction (BID) than others. The purpose of this paper is to determine if there was a high prevalence of BID and/or disordered eating among students studying a food‐related degree course.

Students were recruited via e‐mail. Subjects were weighed, measured and BMI calculated. A software package Anamorphic Micro was used to measure BID and a validated questionnaire “BITE” assessed for disordered eating.

Nutrition students had a low mean BMI of 21.8 kg/m². Despite this, the majority (90 per cent) were dissatisfied with their body; with 83 per cent wishing to be thinner and 60 per cent overestimating their body size. The BITE questionnaire revealed that 30 per cent scored for disordered eating and 10 per cent scored for Bulimia Nervosa.

This paper confirms that students studying food‐related degree courses are at greater risk of developing eating disorders.