Oracle Online

“It takes much more stress, effort, and anxiety for a man to get help for an eating disorder,” said Johnny Athmann, 23, a Minneapolis resident who has been battling an eating disorder for the past five years. “It’s only logical that men may seem alienated and out of place by institutions that don’t necessarily accept them.”

Upon realizing that his condition required intensive treatment, Athmann applied to Methodist Hospital’s Eating Disorder Institute in St. Louis Park. “They are quite renowned for their treatment success so it seemed logical that I go there,” explained Athmann. “They told me that, although they currently offer inpatient care for eating disorders specifically, they don’t allow males into the program; they rarely get male patients, so they wouldn’t be turning too many people away.”

In a society that places high value on the physical beauty and thinness of women, the thought that a male teenager represents one of the first documented eating disorder cases seems unfathomable. In 1694, London physician Richard Morton reported the first case of anorexia nervosa in a 16-year-old male. At least one out of every ten people with an eating disorder is a male, yet most people still think of eating disorders as women-only afflictions.

“There are currently no programs, departments, or statistics regarding eating disorders available through the Minnesota Department of Health,” said Johanna Rehorst, a registered dietician for the Health Department.

“There need to be separate treatment groups that focus on men--they suffer from different issues,” said Joel Jahraus, M.D. from Methodist’s Eating Disorder Institute. “It’s very difficult for when there’s such limited help in predominately female programs for men to get treatment.” Methodist began allowing adult males into their in-patient program in October 2005. Unfortunately, the waiting list to get accepted to one of their 21 available beds is quite lengthy. “Usually, males are referred out of state,” said Dr. Jahraus. “They end up at either Rogers Memorial Hospital in Okonomowoc, WI, or at the University of Iowa’s Eating and Weight Disorder Program.” Dr. Jahraus explained that he would like to see tracks for men that are specialized and separate from women’s groups.

Many people feel that there just isn’t a high enough demand for gender-specific treatment plans. “There’s not a large enough population of males that want to get treatment,” said Dirk Miller, M.D. of the Emily Program. Despite the stigma surrounding the issue, Dr. Jahraus is confidant that spaces in all-male programs would fill. “At any given time there is at least one male in our eating disorder treatment program,” said Jahraus. “There are people out there who want help.”
“It will go through, and they will see that the need was always there,” said Athmann, “but men just had no place to go to receive treatment.”

It is true that there are many outpatient programs and peer-groups available that accept males. However, more severe cases require supervised treatment. Eating disorders can disrupt many metabolic process causing life-threatening emergencies. For people with severe eating disorders, many experts believe that ten to 12 weeks of hospitalization with full nutritional support are required to reach ideal body weight. “I stayed in [inpatient treatment] for 14 days,” said Athmann. “I was released because I was medically stable and then required to be part of an outpatient program. That’s what people want because there’s no one to watch you eat.”

So what is being done to help these men with no place to go? Nothing.

The Minnesota Department of Health’s website neglects to include any information on anorexia or bulimia, although, they do have one link to the University of Minnesota’s Eating Disorder Resource Directory. “The website is extremely out-dated,” said creator Felisha Rhodes. The two contact numbers listed on the 1997 website have also been disconnected.

When the Minnesota Department of Health was contacted and asked what resources or information was available regarding eating disorders, the receptionist replied, “I’m surprised; I don’t find anything in my directory. There is no immediate department listed that looks like they could be of help.” While the Department of Health’s duty is not to physically provide care for patients, it is their responsibility to inform the public.

It’s harder to find people who can’t find ways to help themselves. Numbers of males with eating disorders may never become statistically significant if they aren’t given places to seek treatment in a setting where they feel comfortable and welcome.