Dr. Linda Mintle

Tag: exercise

  • Male Eating Disorders

    Not much media attention is given to men and eating disorders. One in ten males suffer.

    Not much media attention is given to men and eating disorders. One reason may be that these disorders are disproportionately female. In recent years, however, the number of males afflicted has risen from one in twenty, to about one in ten. Approximately one-third of adolescent boys report bingeing with food.

    Men, like women, are affected by cultural media stereotypes that promote a fit and buffed body as signs of attractiveness and success. But men are more concerned about their shape than weight. Men also are affected by other sociocultural factors such as the pressure of a demanding job market and the changing view of masculinity and gender roles.

    Exercise appears to be a common entrée into symptom development. Dieting plays a role related to playing sports, past obesity, gender identity conflicts, and avoidance of feared medical illness. Boys may begin to diet to lose a few pounds, exercise to lose more weight, and then refuse to eat normally. Exercise is usually the chosen route for weight loss.

    Like women, certain subgroups of men are more at risk. For example, male wrestles have a high proportion of eating disorders. In addition, men who develop eating disorders are more likely than women to have been obese.Clinical symptoms are similar with the obvious exception of amenorrhea.

    Onset of a male eating disorder can begin at preadolescence, adolescence and young adulthood, or adulthood. Men benefit greatly from treatment and are often happy to find someone who appreciates their concerns. They typically have more alcohol related problems and obsessional thinking than female eating disorders. Female eating disorders are more afflicted with mood disorders in addition to eating problems.

    Why are these disorders more typically female? One thought is that males don’t diet as often to control weight. In addition, males increase muscle during puberty and are less concerned about fat than girls. Males want to be bigger and taller. It also may be that eating disorders in males are under diagnosed and underreported since they are known as female disorders.

    Whatever the reasons, it is important to know that males do use food to cope with emotional difficulties. For more information about eating disorders in general, refer to other articles in this section.

  • 5 Lifestyle Stress Questions

    What are you doing to reduce stress in your life?

    Stress is something we all experience. Your lifestyle can add to stress or it can help calm you down. What are you doing to reduce stress in your life? Evaluate your lifestyle by answering these five questions. Are there things you can change today that would make you feel better? The answer is probably,” Yes!”

    Five lifestyle questions to ask:

    1. Do I have effective ways of relaxing? We all need down time. Therefore, identify ways to relax and rejuvenate your body and mind. Relaxation isn’t something you do once a year on a cruise to the Bahamas (although this can’t hurt). Relaxing should be a regular, practiced part of your life. You need balance in all things. Even God rested on the seventh day! Relaxation keeps stress from building up and provides an avenue for releasing tension.

    2. Do I exercise regularly? So many of us know the importance of this but don’t do it. The benefits of exercise are enormous. Exercise can reduce muscle tension and frustration in addition to providing a host of medical helps. So why don’t we regularly exercise? Either we don’t have a moment to fit it in our day or we don’t enjoy it.  The solution is to make time and pick something you like. For example, I tried running. I gave it six months, did it six days a week and hated it. I am not a runner but put me on a pair of roller blades and I can have a good time. Find something you like–bike riding, dancing, skating, basketball, tennis, skiing, walking, ping pong–anything that gets you active and off that couch.

    3. Do I eat sensibly? I’m not talking dieting here. I’m asking if you eat good healthy foods that provide nutrition and health benefits. Do you skip meals, eat burgers in the car while talking on your cell phone, and find yourself at the drive-through regularly? Decrease your caffeine intake (can trigger panic), reduce salt, eat more organic and less processed foods, and eat foods that give energy and staying power. Get the vitamins and supplements you need, particularly B, C and calcium for women.

    4. How well do I manage my time? So many people spend energy on things that are unproductive or take too much of their time. Learn about time management and ways to maximize your efforts. If you are not meeting deadlines, procrastinate or obsess over a project, you need help. Some people have to learn to move things along, others to slow down and do things correctly. You only have so much time in a day so it is important to learn to prioritize and be realistic about goals.

    5. Do I get enough sleep? Sounds like a simple question but so many clients I see have terrible sleep habits. It is important to go to bed at a regular time and get into a sleep routine. This means start winding down a few hours before you go to sleep. Here’s an encouraging thought–sex usually helps people sleep (Use only if this morally applies!).

    Take a minute (don’t tell me you are too stressed!) and begin to ask these questions. Then, work on making simple but important lifestyle changes.