Eating Disorders: Male Clients
Males Also Suffer from Eating Disorders

While the overwhelming majority of individuals who suffer from eating disorders are female, males account for a growing number of this population. At Fairwinds Treatment Center, we help both female and male clients to recover from eating disorders. In fact, the presence of male clients in a therapeutic environment can add a dimension of gender divergence with male issues of etiology, sexuality and social roles that need to be addressed. It is valuable for female clients to learn to relate to male clients in a therapeutic context, especially if gender relations were troubled prior to admission.

Males who suffer from eating disorders exhibit some similar behaviors as females; these may include rigid exercise routines, food restrictions and binge and purge behaviors. The desire to be thin or highly developed and attaining the perfect body is a constant preoccupation with many male and female eating disorders clients.

Underlying issues within eating disorders also remain very similar for male clients, which may include high perfection and control tendencies with extreme anxiety and stress issues. Eating disorders often occur together with other conditions which require treatment and rehab.

Psychiatric disorders such as significant depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder are common in people who require eating disorders treatment. Fairwinds Treatment Center is one of only a few dually-licensed psychiatric and substance abuse treatment facilities in the nation to earn accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Fairwinds has discovered that males respond well to treatment; in many cases, males gain weight at a faster rate compared to females. This positive outcome for males also contributes in a positive manner for many of our female clients who unconsciously improve in weight gain and desire for recovery. Fairwinds Treatment Center generally has one to two males in our eating disorders treatment program at any given time.

Whether you’re in need of treatment for eating disorders, Fairwinds can guide you on the path to a happier, healthier future.