New reports and studies are showing that a boy’s struggle with body size and eating disorders is not being taken as seriously, and this needs to change. When the world thinks of body image, and eating disorders, it is sadly thought of as a “girls” issue or something that affects girls at a much higher rate. Throughout the pandemic, there has been a lot of concern for the cases of eating disorders. Body image issues can be a direct threat to a youth’s mental and physical health, and it needs to be addressed.
According to Medical Xpress, body size issues and eating disorders are not being taken seriously when it comes to young boys, and this needs to change. A study that was completed by Trondelag Health shows that eating disorders and poor mental health are directly linked, and it can be read in full here.
One of the research authors pointed out an alarming statistic, and that shows that in a school with 200 students, you could expect 34 (on average) to have an eating disorder or some form of disordered eating. She also pointed out that studies are low for this, particularly due to funding.
Within the studies that are currently being funded and done, young boys have been a constant group that is overlooked. There has been a lot of studies done on eating disorders in girls, and eating disorders are not a ‘one size fits all.’ Boys and girls have different bodies, so you cannot take an eating disorder study on girls and assume that it is going to work the same, or similarly, with boys. They both show unique and different symptoms and their body make-up is different. Specifically, measuring BMI in boys is not a great tool for detecting problems.
This has been partially blamed on how society sees eating disorders, and that it is widely seen as a “girls' problem.” This has to change, and this can be a great reminder for parents who have young boys, to be mindful of their sons and their eating habits and concerns they have about their body. This may be a bit more challenging as well because the culture of “toxic masculinity” has made boys not as vocal with concerns about their body as girls, and they may be more adept at hiding it. The study showed that a person’s mental health worsened due to worries over being overweight than actually being overweight.
Sources: Medical Xpress, BMJ Open