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Eating disorder symptoms in middle‐aged and older men
Author(s) -
MangwethMatzek Barbara,
Kummer Kai K.,
Pope Harrison G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.22550
Subject(s) - binge eating , eating disorders , overeating , psychology , disordered eating , binge eating disorder , psychiatry , clinical psychology , bulimia nervosa , medicine , obesity
Objective Few studies have assessed symptoms of eating disorders in older men. Method We administered anonymous questionnaires to 470 men, aged 40–75 years, in and around Innsbruck, Austria, to assess eating behavior, body image, and exercise activities. We defined current eating disorder symptoms (EDS) as (1) BMI < 18.5; (2) binge eating; (3) binge eating and purging; or (4) purging without binge eating. Results Of the 470 men, 32 (6.8%) reported one of the four eating disorder symptoms. The 32 men with eating disorder symptoms, compared to the 438 men with normal eating, showed significantly greater pathology on scales assessing eating behavior, exercise addiction, satisfaction with body shape, and weight. However, the EDE‐Q cutoff score for eating disturbance identified only three (9%) of the EDS men. Discussion Symptoms of disordered eating, sometimes involving purging via excessive exercise, do occur in older men, and may be missed by conventional instruments. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:953–957)