Eating disorders among men are on the rise, with recent NHS findings showing that as many as a quarter of people who suffer from eating disorders are male.
The NHS Information Centre (NHS IC) research – The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 – published last month, surveyed 7,461 people in England over 16. It found that an alarming 6.4 per cent of adults had a problem with food, a figure much higher than previously thought.
Females are ten times more likely than males to suffer from anorexia or bulimia, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. However, the NHS research suggests that eating disorders are becoming more common in boys and men.
Eating disorders in men can take different forms to those in women, as they “tend to be more focused on body image,” Mary George from eating disorder charity Beat, said. She explained that “visits to the gym become obsessive as does the desire to change body shape – this then becomes accompanied by controlling calorie intake which leads to a full blown eating disorder.”

Common disorders
The most common forms of eating disorder are anorexia nervosa, where individuals starve themselves and excessively exercise to lose weight, and bulimia, in which they binge on food and then purge through vomiting or laxative use. Anorexia accounts for around one in ten cases in adults, according to figures from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), whereas bulimia accounts for a third of all cases, with other disorders such as compulsive eating making up the rest.
The disorders can range in severity and can be a major cause of serious psychological distress. The physical impact of a disorder such as anorexia can be devastating, resulting in drastic weight loss, low mood, a loss of periods in women, and in more acute cases, heart problems and osteoporosis.
In its eating disorder guidelines, NICE states that some studies have identified eating disorders as having the highest mortality rate of all mental disorders, illustrating the potential severity of these disorders.

A taboo subject
“Many men don’t realise that they have an eating disorder and are reluctant to seek help when they do feel they have a problem,” commented Beat’s Mary George on why eating disorders are usually associated with women.
The silence surrounding male anorexia and bulimia has meant the issue has become something of a taboo subject, but it was cast under the spotlight last year when former deputy prime minister, John Prescott, admitted that he had suffered from bulimia in the past.
Following Mr Prescott’s revelation, Ms George said the charity’s helplines “had ten times the normal number of calls for men who hadn’t realised they had an eating disorder until then.”
The authors of the NHS survey concluded that although research into male eating disorders was expanding, “men with eating disorders are a group that have been neglected in research, policy and clinical practice in this area”.

A complex issue – for both sexes
Problems with food can begin when it is used to cope with those times when someone is bored, anxious, angry, lonely, ashamed or sad, or when it is used as a crutch to help relieve painful situations, says Beat.
The recent tragic death of 18 year-old Alice Rae refocuses from beyond the statistics the very real and human cost of anorexia. Alice died in January of this year; found dead in bed by her mother at the family home in Houghton, Hampshire, after battling with anorexia.
The fashion industry has come under recent scrutiny for its promotion of ’size zero’ models and the message this gives out to young women about body image. But specialists, such as the National Centre for Eating Disorders, suggest reasons why someone should develop an eating disorder are complex, and each case is individual. Factors such as low self-esteem, family relationships, problems with friends, dealing with grief, problems at work or university, or sexual or emotional abuse can all play a part.

Help at hand?
Eating disorders are serious mental health issues and can be very distressing for both those with the disorder and their families, as studies show.
According to a report published by Beat in February 2008 entitled Failing Families?, 79 per cent of families surveyed said that an eating disorder had caused lasting damage to their lives. Relationship breakdown; problems at work caused by the need to take time off to provide care and support; damage to friendships and social life and a negative impact on other children in the family were all listed as factors.
Despite NICE guidance advising that “families and carers should be informed of self help and support groups and offered the opportunity to participate in such groups”, Beat’s survey found that only 12 per cent of families felt they had access to the amount of support they needed and 23 per cent had no support at all.
The NHS survey reinforces this need for improved support and treatment of those with eating disorders, finding that four in five adults (81 per cent) who screened positive for an eating disorder were not receiving any counseling, medication or therapy for a mental or emotional problem.
In response to the NHS report findings, Conservative health spokesperson Anne Milton said: “These figures are shocking. We are failing to get across to young people today the dangers they face when they abuse food. At one end of the scale we have some frightening statistics on obesity and on the other end of the scale we have many people suffering from this tragic illness.”

Gentle exercise can cut the danger of early heart disease, Britain’s biggest killer, according to reports of a scientific study.

As little as half an hour of aerobic exercise such as walking, rowing or jogging three times a week can make patients 60 per cent less likely to die, the research found.

The results of the study, carried out by the Department of Cardiology in New Orleans, Louisiana and reported in the American Journal of Medicine, have be welcomed by the British Heart Foundation.

More than 200,000 die each year from conditions related to circulation, including strokes and heart attacks.

One in five men and one in seven women die from heart disease in the UK.

The American study offered patients 12 weeks of exercise classes of 30 or 40 minutes of walking, rowing or jogging and were given advice on diet and lifestyle improvements.

A follow-up with the patients over six years found those who got fitter through the exercise regime were 60 per cent less likely to have died.

Exercise also helped to reduce levels of stress, according to a report of the study in the Daily Express.

The British Heart Foundation told the newspaper: “This study proves once again that exercise has both psychological and physical benefits for patients with heart disease.”
Many British patients with heart problems are put on drugs to lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

Heartburn is a painful and burning sensation in the esophagus, just behind the breastbone usually associated with regurgitation of gastric acid.

The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. Heartburn is a major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD); acid reflux is also identified as one of the causes of chronic cough, and may even mimic asthma.

Despite its name, heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart; it is so called because of a burning sensation near to where the heart is located – although some heart problems may give rise to a similar burning sensation.

Over-the-counter antacids and prescription medications are the most common treatments for GERD) In the most severe cases, surgery may even be required. But regardless of how bad your GERD symptoms are, successfully fighting heartburn and acid reflux also requires some changes in lifestyle, ranging from the food you eat to the clothes you wear.

Here is a list to help minimize GERD symptoms.

1.Eat small but frequent meals

Meals are often a trigger for GERD symptoms. In fact, all-you-can-eat buffets are almost always a recipe for heartburn.

A very full stomach can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus (known as the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) to relax, pushing stomach acids back up into the esophagus.

Eat several small meals throughout the day rather than the standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (Don’t make that last meal too late, though: Eating close to bedtime can trigger GERD symptoms as well.)

2. Ban the cake

Be it chocolate or caffeine, certain foods and drinks are notorious for exacerbating GERD symptoms.

The list includes spicy foods, fatty red meat, french fries (as well as other fried foods), citrus fruit, raw onion, tomatoes, butter, oil, peppermint, chocolate, and caffeine.

You don’t have to resign yourself to a diet of bananas and boiled chicken, however. There are many recipes around the web to enjoy.

3.Don’t drink alcohol

Alcohol is a bad idea for most people with GERD, especially if you drink too much, or on a regular basis.

Alcohol relaxes the LES, which lets stomach acid creep into the esophagus. The LES is the valve that is responsible for keeping acid in your stomach digesting food where it belongs and out of your airway. When the LES is relaxed it allows acid to come up causing the burning sensation known as acid reflux. Avoiding foods that relax the LES will limit your chances of acid reflux.

A 1999 study in the American Journal of Medicine found that the percentage of people reporting reflux symptoms increased with the number of drinks consumed weekly. Those who had more than seven drinks per week were the most likely to have heartburn.

4.Another reason to shed pounds

Excess weight can contribute to heartburn and acid reflux. A 2003 study of more than 10,000 people in the International Journal of Epidemiology found a strong link between GERD symptoms and body mass index (BMI). Obese people are nearly three times more likely than people of normal weight to have heartburn and acid reflux.

Experts aren’t sure why. Excess abdominal fat may place pressure on the stomach, but it may also cause chemical or hormonal changes that make the body more susceptible to acid reflux.

6.Don’t wear tight clothing

Much like excess belly fat, clothing that’s a tight fit around the midsection can push against your stomach and force acid into the esophagus.

Sure, those pants look cute, but are they worth it? If you have heartburn, skip too-tight belts, waistbands, hosiery, and undergarments.

7.Head up, sleep better

What does sleep have to do with heartburn? More than you might think. Avoid eating before bedtime, and elevate your head 6 to 8 inches once in bed.

This position doesn’t necessarily reduce the frequency of acid reflux, but research shows that it helps stomach acid drain from the esophagus more quickly. One study reported a 67% increase in acid clearance time.

Don’t own a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed? Prop up your bed on specially designed blocks or use a foam wedge, both of which you can find at most home stores. (Piling up the pillows isn’t as effective.)

8. Quit smoking

Everyone knows that smoking damages your heart and lungs. But what about your digestive system? Yep, it harms that too.

Nicotine, like alcohol, may worsen GERD symptoms by relaxing the LES, which causes stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.

Smoking also causes bile salts to migrate from the small intestine into the stomach and reduces the amount of saliva you produce. (Saliva helps flush stomach acid out of the esophagus and contains a natural acid-fighter, bicarbonate.)