OT Can middle-aged men have eating disorders?
I 'm sorry - this is not only OT but a little long too . . . Has anyone heard of men in their 40s who have an eating disorder? Several years ago my brother decided to lose weight (and he did need to). He dieted and exercised but mostly dieted. He is 5'10" and now weighs 130 pounds. He still exercises a little but mostly he maintains this weight by not eating very much. For lunch, for example, he'll eat a cup of some clear soup, one cracker, a handful of carrot sticks, and half an apple. I eat more than he does (and I'm not overweight). He looks really thin with practically no muscle, and he's cold all the time, but he claims he feels great. It seems to me like he fits all the criteria for anorexia except that he's a 40 something man and not a young woman. I've asked him sort of indirectly about his motivation for this, and he doesn't seem to be concerned about his appearance. Instead he says he wants to avoid heart disease, stroke, cancer, and all sorts of health problems down the line, and who can argue with that I guess? He is married, but his wife is sort of obsessed with eating and weight too. For example, they never have an actual evening meal when they come home from work but just eat popcorn (few calories) or lettuce (also few calories) in front of the TV. They also avoid protein and eat only fruits, veggies, and grains. At least his wife is of a normal weight though. Has anyone heard of anything like this? If I say something I'm sort of butting into a "lifestyle" that both of them share.
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