This article provides a survey of eating disorders in men, highlights the dramatic rise in eating disorders, identifies issues specific to males, and suggests areas for research and intervention. This survey concludes that men with eating disorders are currently under-diagnosed, undertreated, and misunderstood by many clinicians who encounter them. Ongoing research addressing these issues is expected to result in assessment tools and treatment interventions that will advance positive outcomes for men with eating disorders.

The present study examines the impact of pregnancy on anorexia nervosa and bulimia. A survey of women with an active eating disorder involving anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or mixed symptoms 6 months prior to their first pregnancy was undertaken to gain information on attitudes toward becoming pregnancy, fears and concerns related to the unborn child, the impact on eating disorder behaviors prenatal and postnatal, weight gain and weight gain of the baby as an indicator of its health, and the obstetricians view of the pregnancy and health status of the infant upon delivery. The results indicate that pregnancy had a pronounced beneficial impact on anorexic and bulimic symptoms during pregnancy. However, lasting psychological benefit was limited to a minority of the sample in the first year after childbirth. In contrast to previous research, infants had normal birth weights and deliveries with an absence of congenital defects. The implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This study focused on the most commonly used eating disorder assessment tool, the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), and the preliminary Eating Disorder Assessment for Men (EDAM). These assessment tools were examined to investigate predictability in males and the extent they differentiated between men and women. Specific scales of the EDI-3 and total scores for each instrument were assessed using a sample of 108 males and females from residential treatment facilities. Overall, the EDI-3 scales were shown to be significantly different between genders on a MANOVA, with men scoring significantly lower in body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia. Both instruments showed the ability to predict eating disorders when using a logistical regression analysis. Results support the hypothesis that eating disorders are significantly different in men and women, providing evidence that there is a need to develop a valid and reliable eating disorder assessment tool specifically for men.

In a thorough review of literature of eating disorders in men, it is consistently shown that symptom presentation varies greatly by gender. However, almost all eating disorder instruments have been developed and validated on females. These critical differences between men and women in symptom presentation provoke the necessity to develop a male specific eating disorder assessment tool. The development of the EDAM is described, and in a study of 108 clients of residential treatment facilities, results of the preliminary version of the EDAM are shown. Internal consistency reliability is supported and factor analysis loadings are provided. Results from a logistical regression support the EDAM's ability to predict eating disorders in men.

This paper reviews an innovative clinical intervention--the group process-retreat model--aimed at bolstering the psychotherapeutic treatment regime for bulimic patients. A brief review of the literature surrounding the use of group models in the treatment of bulimia is presented. The intensive weekend retreat focuses on redefining the "problem" from a weight phobia to a vicious cycle disruptive of interpersonal relationships and, ultimately, self-esteem. An ability to perceive new solutions may then emerge. The intensity of the retreat is accomplished by having participants leave their usual social environment and become part of a structured therapeutic interaction group that fosters closeness and cohesion in an otherwise alienated and isolated population. A description of the intensive process and patient demographics is provided, along with preliminary research on the impact of the model. Follow-up data suggest that the retreat has served as a turning point for many bulimic patients.