TrendSpark: Manorexia

I used to have an eating disorder. I couldn’t help but be obsessed with my weight.

Let me start from the beginning. I was always a chunky kid. I was always a couple dozen pounds overweight and in high school I tipped the scale at 270 lbs. When I hit college I became so focussed on studying that I stopped eating. I’d occasionally engorge myself on eating and drinking binges, which would lead to me vomit till I couldn’t stand, but for the most part I stuck with bottled water between classes and ate a bowl of Cheerios whenever I was starving, the problem was I enjoyed starving, and everyday that passed between meals I felt like I was becoming stronger than my desire for food. In about 6 months I dropped 50 lbs and sprouted up to a height of 6′3.

I quickly noticed how much attention I’d get from the opposite sex, so I kept my weight down by exercising and starvation. I hit 210 lbs and nearly collapsed while engaging in a two-hour intense boxing routine in 2002. I checked into a hospital and for the first time was told I was malnourished. The doctor put me on a mix of steriods and weight enhancers. I didn’t take either, but decided to not allow myself to torture myself over my weight. I’ve maintained a healthy weight (with the exception of the recent “blogging” weight I’ve gained) for the past six years and have monitored my eating and exercise to prevent excess, but every so often I can feel the desire to starve myself creeping in and I fear a relapse.

Of course, there are those out there who don’t reach this point of realization and find themselves starving, smoking cigarettes, or using drugs like cocaine to speed up their metabolism and maintain a tiny figure. Men in fashion magazines have gotten skinnier and younger, and the onset of age in men is being discouraged by beauty companies, women and the media. Men in NYC and LA are required to be thin. Fat is a sign of weakness in our culture and this has led to a destructive attitude towards our bodies and our view of beauty.

Manorexia seems like a comical term, but it is a serious condition that all should be aware of. More and more men are starving themselves, vomiting, binging, and experimenting with fat suppressants and surgery to maintain an unhealthy body weight. Even those in power, like former Deputy Premier of England John Prescott, who recently admitting to binging on five-course meals, Big Macs and Carnation Milk, have fallen victim to eating disorders. Here’s his full list of binge foods (accountable for nearly 10,000 daily calories) that Prescott was binging on.

DAILY GUIDELINES FOR MEN

Calories 2000. Fat 70g, carbohydrate sugars 90g, salt 2.4g

CARNATION MILK - 397g TIN Calories 1290. Fat 31.8g, carbohydrate sugars 221.5g, salt 0.4g

M&S TRIFLE - 500g Calories 825. Fat 41.5g, carbohydrate sugars 71.5g, salt 0.55g.

LEMON CHICKEN Calories 1400. Fat 13g, salt 700mg

BEEF SATAY Calories 760, Fat 40g, salt: 650mg

SWEET AND SOUR PORK Calories 410. Fat 30g, salt 350mg

CRISPY DUCK - 650MG Calories 800. Fat 40g, salt 650mg

CHOCOLATE - 230g BAR Calories 1207.5. Fat 68.54g, carbohydrate sugars 130.4g, salt 0.207g

DIGESTIVE BISCUITS - 500g Calories 2355. Fat 106.5g, carbohydrate sugars 83, salt 2.5g CRISPS - 34.5g

PACKET Calories 530. Fat 11.7g, carbohydrate sugars 0.2g, salt 0.5g

1 in 8 people with eating problems is male and that number is quickly growing. It’s an easy problem to ignore since most males will substitute excessive exercise for under-eating. If you or someone you love is suffering for anorexia or bulimia there is help. Contact NEDA for more information on tips to spot the problem and get help.

I hate to sound all preachy, but this is a serious condition that needs to be addressed, plus I’m getting really, really tired of skinny jeans on men. They look horrible and my big ass can’t squeeze into them.