Anorexia in men: "I stopped eating because my body was the only thing I could control in my life"

Anorexia and bulimia are eating and behavioral disorders that mainly affect women, but also men. Well barely spoken.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eating disorders are among the most prevalent mental health problems among young people around the world.

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The number of children affected by this disorder is increasing. And experts believe that this is partly due to the pressure exerted by social networks.

Health experts have also found how "vigorexia", the obsession of having well-defined muscles and a healthy body, is becoming more common among teenagers.

"I was feeling alone"

Jack started controlling what he was eating at the age of 12. He felt intimidated at school, where he called himself Fat.

It happened at the same time that his parents decided to separate.

Remember that he felt sad and that he had no control over his life.

"I stopped eating because my body was the only thing I could control of my life."

It was so that he started eating less and doing a lot of exercise. Too much

The sport has become an obsession for Jack. He did not take advantage of it, he only counted the calories that he burned.

The sport became somewhat obsessive, essential: I had to run to burn the calories I had swallowed.

In less than two years, Jack became very sick. He could not walk or talk to his friends. I could not even stay awake long.

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The turning point says that it was when he admitted that he "had a problem" and realized that he needed help.

He went to see his doctor, who sent him to the British Children's Mental Health Service. He was admitted to the hospital.

There they took care of him and helped him to improve.

They also told him about his problem. They gave him a meal plan that made him eat healthier, and his relationship with the sport changed. It's about enjoying it, not being obsessed with it.

Jack asked for the help of a professional and was admitted to the hospital until he gradually felt better (generic photo).

One of the other important things that he did was leave all the social networks. He said that photos and comments from people did not help him get better.

For him, networks became a kind of "noise", with negative images and words that did not help him at all.

Gradually, he began to understand that his appearance was not the most important thing.

After six months under the constant supervision of the doctors and his family, he thought it was time to do it himself.

Jack thinks that he had talked to someone in time, he would not have been so sick.

He is now 20 years old and is completely cured of anorexia. He says that had he ever talked to someone about what had happened to him, he would not have fallen so sick.

The role of social networks

Child psychiatrist Sandeep Ranote told the BBC that there was no research to show that social networks were causing eating disorders, but that things were getting worse.

"Many platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are based on the publication of images that can be edited (with effects and filters) .These are not real … This can lead young people to believe that it is what they should be.

"Constantly seeing that this can make you feel that you are not good enough and that your emotional health may be affected."

Newsround has spoken with several children from the ninth and tenth years of school (14, 15 and 16 year olds) and stated that they felt compelled to show what they should show on the networks.

One teenager said that he would like to have "more muscle" and another said he would like to be "slimmer".

Another said, "People judge you what you look like."

Experts say that cases of young men with anorexia are increasing.

The guys also said that social networks gave them the feeling that they had to be as beautiful as the celebrities who upload their pictures there. That they should wear some clothes and look good.

Some even claimed that not meeting expectations had made them feel uncomfortable.

How to get help

If you have problems feeding, the sooner you get help, the better. Because the dangers to your health get worse the more you put them aside.

There are many badociations and institutions that can advise and help you.

But most importantly, trust your doctor. They know everything about mental health and they will not judge you, they are there to support you.

The doctor will then refer you to the specialist, who can give you specialized care.