A proactive approach to assessing men for eating disorders

Assessment guidelines for nurses on the subject of eating disorders (EDs) focus primarily on evaluating the severity and progress of the problem for females who have already received a formal ED diagnosis. We argue that, because there is scant research into men with eating disorders and men strive to conceal this health problem, nurses should be equipped with information that will support earlier detection of EDs among men and boys before they manifest as a serious health problem. We advocate the use of epidemiological data to identify groups of men most at risk and the use of qualitative interview data as a means of grounding the nurse on the issues these men face when seeking to modify their body image.