Surely we have all heard about anorexia at some point, and we know what it is. But what about manorexia? Does this concept sound familiar to you? It is a neologism used to designate, broadly speaking, “the anorexia of men.”
Manorexia is an unspecified eating disorder (ED) Here we will see what exactly it consists of and what its typical symptoms are, and in addition, we will talk about its causes and the most appropriate treatments.
Manorexia is an eating disorder suffered by men with a fear of gaining weight, which leads them to play sports excessively and to follow hyper-restrictive diets.
In a way, we can say that it is the anorexia suffered by men, although it is not exactly the same.
Men suffering from manorexia They always look fat (even if they are not really fat), as well as being unfavorable That is, their biased perception of reality goes beyond body weight, and is extrapolated to beauty or ugliness.
Regarding the prevalence of manorexia, according to data from the National Eating Disorders Association, this disorder could affect more than one million men and boys worldwide.
However, this disorder is increasing more and more in recent years, which is explained by various factors such as social pressure to always be “handsome, perfect and thin”, excessive use of social networks (and its influence on our body image and our lifestyle), the unhealthy cult of the body (which also makes us forget to cultivate other facets of ourselves), etc.
The symptoms of manorexia can vary from one patient to another, although the most common are.
1. Loss of appetite
The main symptom of manorexia is a decreased appetite, which leads men who suffer from it to eat less and therefore, to lose weight and body fat.
This decrease in hunger may not appear, but the individual may still reduce his or her food consumption to worrying limits (or even practically stop eating).
2. Intense physical exercise
Another typical symptom of manorexia is intense (or excessive) physical exercise. As occurs in anorexia, the patient begins to practice sports obsessively to lose weight (especially cardiovascular exercise such as running).
Thus, a person with manorexia changes their usual functioning and follow routines to introduce sport into your life in an exaggerated way In severe cases, patients feel that they must constantly do sports to burn off “everything they have gained” (although this is not real).
3. Altered perception of the body
There is also an altered perception of the body; Thus, a man with manorexia can see his body as deformed, excessively fat, ugly… Although this is not really the case. The obsession with obtaining the “perfect” physique is also another prominent characteristic of this disorder.
As we see, eating disorders generally almost always include a symptom that causes the patient to focus and obsess on their own body (including a distorted view of reality).
4. Consumption of slimming products
Another typical symptom of manorexia is the consumption of slimming products. In his desire to lose weight (and above all, not to gain weight), the patient He begins to make a pilgrimage to pharmacies (and online) to purchase products that will allow him to achieve his goal
These products range from laxatives to dietary supplements, among many others.
5. Nausea and vomiting
Nausea and vomiting may also appear (the latter may be self-induced). It is important to highlight here that a differential diagnosis should be made with anorexia a disorder that also usually includes this symptom, since we remember that men can also suffer from anorexia (although they only represent 10% of total cases).
6. Weakness and fatigue
Generalized weakness and fatigue also appear, probably as a consequence of the previous symptoms.
7. General discomfort
Finally, like most disorders (and especially eating disorders), the patient suffers, and therefore a notable symptom is generalized discomfort.
Causes
The causes of manorexia can be very diverse, and it is something that the therapist and/or doctor must investigate in depth. Some of the most frequent are: low self-esteem, childhood trauma, perfectionist and/or obsessive personality influence of the predominant beauty pattern, social pressure, personal insecurities, emotional instability, etc.
These causes can combine and end up causing manorexia. It will be important to analyze each case specifically because the causes can vary greatly from one person to another.
Treatment
Manorexia is a disorder that is still quite unknown. If we consult the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), we would find manorexia classified as an “Eating Disorder (ED) not otherwise specified”, since it is a disorder that does not meet the criteria for any other ED. .
If we consult the reference treatment guides in mental health, they suggest that, in the case of unspecified eating disorders, The treatment to be applied will be the one that would be applied for the TCA most similar to the one we are treating Therefore, in the case of manorexia, we should surely resort to treatments focused on treating anorexia nervosa, such as:
On the other hand, cognitive behavioral treatments are also used, which allow identify and restructure the patient’s irrational thoughts or dysfunctional ideas These techniques allow, above all, to work on the person’s body image.
Notably It will be important to carry out a multidisciplinary approach in manorexia ; For this, the figure of the doctor and the nutritionist will be key. It will be important for the patient to return to healthy weight levels for his or her age, height, and build.
On the other hand, the psychologist must address the patient’s distorted thoughts associated with body shape and weight, work with him on possible traumatic experiences from the past, review the factors that are maintaining the current problem, enhance his self-esteem review your coping strategies, etc.
In any case, it will be essential to go to a health professional to begin the most appropriate treatment for each person.
