Read the original article here Written by: Andrew Walen, LCSW-C, LICSW, CEDS Yes, males can develop an eating disorder. It may not seem like it, as you rarely hear about it. Males do not seek treatment as often as others. Their behaviors are different. Their language is different. But the negative impact on physical, mental, […]
The Courage to Suffer
By Andrew Walen, LCSW-C, LICSW, CEDS I’m reading the book Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktore Frankl. It is a powerful and difficult read about his experience as a Jewish psychiatrist in the death camps of Nazi Germany during WWII. While there is so much to be said about this book and Frankl’s thoughts, something […]
Males with Eating Disorders are a Growing Concern
Read the original article here. Contributor: Andrew Walen, LCSW-C, LICSW, CEDS, Founder and Executive Director of The Body Image Therapy Center Twenty years ago, it would have been a novelty to read about a male suffering from an eating disorder. Today, a quick Google search will draw thousands of articles, blogs, and pages on the subject. […]
ED Thoughts with Andrew Walen – An Interview with Tom Wooldridge
Does This Photo Make Me Look Fat?? — Ken Gehring Photography
by Ken Gehring via www.kengehring.com First of all, let me start by saying that I am not a writer and this is the first time I have ever written a blog so I thought that I would start with something very dear to me. I’m a man and I’ve spent my life ashamed of my […]
Opinion | More male representation needed in body positivity movement
By Paige Lawler, For The Pitt News Since its founding in 1996, the body positivity movement has gained popularity, growing from a single organization to an international movement — but it’s still missing a crucial demographic. Founded by two women, the movement aims to create a community that embraces bodies of every size and is free of […]
Male Body Image Concerns Are Not New
When I first opened an adolescent intensive outpatient program for eating disorders in Maryland, I expected to have a room full of struggling kids. Mostly girls, they all came with distorted body image, eating disorder behaviors, and underlying mental health concerns trying desperately to manage the demands of life, school, friendships, and family. I also […]
Remembering it’s about health, not size or weight
It’s been some time since I saw the number on a scale when I stood on it. Normally I ask the nurses and techs who take my vitals not tell me the number and that I’ll step on the scale backwards. Sometimes I look, allowing myself the opportunity to challenge any lingering eating disorder thoughts […]
The work continues for males with eating disorders
I’m on a plane heading back to Baltimore after attending the International Academy for Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) conference near Las Vegas. As is my habit, I use this time traveling home to process what I’ve seen and heard at the conference. Sadly, I’m no more hopeful for the field as it relates to men […]
Middle age and older men get eating disorders too
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, males are every bit as susceptible to developing eating an eating disorder as a female. The research to date has mostly consisted of looking at younger males, and that’s why I’m pleased to see the first ever study on middle aged males to date. Published in […]