Eating disorders in males: a case series study to evaluate putative risk factors

Introduction: There are no studies that have assessed potential risk factors (RFs) for the development of eating disorders (EDs) in males, considering the onset of an ED and controlling for the development of initial symptoms or preceding RFs. This case series was conducted with males and aimed to describe the clinical features and symptomatic onset of EDs, to characterize male puberty development and to identify potential RFs for EDs and specific life events preceding ED symptoms. Methods: Ten males ED patients participated in this study. All participants were interviewed with the Eating Disorders Examination, the Oxford Risk Factor Interview and a semi-structured clinical interview for the evaluation of males’ puberty development. Results: Almost all participants began their EDs with dieting. Half of the participants mentioned the development of muscle mass and experiences of embarrassment related to undressing in front of their peers, both of which were associated with suffering and peers teasing. A history of peer aggression and/or teasing was the only RF experienced by all the participants. We found the presence of RFs in all the remaining evaluated domains. Conclusions: In line with previous RF studies with female samples, we found an ED aetiology that is multifactorial in nature.