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QUESTION: My brother looks terrible; he is very thin and refuses to eat a
thing
And just a few years ago he was overweight
His doctor told my
parents that he is suffering from anorexia, but I always thought that was a
disease of women
Is it possible for a young man to have this disease?

ANSWER: Absolutely
Although it is a fact that most cases of anorexia
nervosa are seen in women, about 5 percent to 10 percent of the time it is a
man with the disorder
And the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds with
the number of cases reported in the general population almost doubling over
the last 20 years
The first notation of male anorexia was published by Dr.
R
Morton in England back in 1689, and many other articles describing the
condition in males have been published since then
Your brother’s case is
typical, as in many cases anorexia is seen in young men who were overweight
teenagers
Although they begin by dieting normally, this changes into the
type of behavior that results in serious weight losses
They believe that
their body weight is not correct for their appearance, and that they are not
too thin
This differs a bit from women who try for excessive thinness, and
diet to attain that state
Some experts believe that the reason for anorexic
behavior in males represents an attempt to establish their own sense of
identity
Men are affected less frequently than women, probably due to the
fact that there is less social pressure on them to be slim
The normal
adolescent male is more concerned with muscle mass and a well formed body than
just being slim
However, this condition should be treated seriously, for it
may have dramatic effects upon the heart and hormone systems, as well as the
kidney and blood
And males are more difficult to treat than women
Therapy
may include nursing care and nutritious diets, tube feeding if necessary,
behavior modification, psychotherapy and the use of medications
In some
cases the use of antidepressants has met with success, including tricyclics
and more recently fluoxetine
The course of therapy may be long, but
certainly hope for a good outcome is both reasonable and rational.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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