The number of men being admitted to hospital with eating disorders has risen by 70 per cent in six years, according to NHS data.
In 2010-2011, 480 males over the age of 19 were diagnosed in hospital with eating disorders such as anorexia.
That number has soared to 818 between April 2015 and March 2016, according to data analysed by the Guardian. The rate of increase is roughly the same as among women.
Experts have blamed the rise on the pressure put on men to have perfect bodies from social media, advertising and popular culture.
Dr William Rhys Jones, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ eating disorders faculty, told the Guardian: “Pressure for body perfection is on the rise for men of all ages, which is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder.
“Images of unhealthy male body ideals in the media place unnecessary pressure on vulnerable people who strive for acceptance through the way they look.”
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, agreed that the rise was unsurprising “when you consider the unrelenting pressures placed on people by popular culture and social media”.
The figures showed a slightly higher increase in eating disorders among older men.
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