MEN WITH BULIMIA-NERVOSA

Since its introduction in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Men tal Disorders (DSM-III) in 1979, bulimia nervosa has not only evoked s cientific interest. The number of popular articles on this typical ''w omen's disease'' has reached an unexpected dimension over the last dec ade. Articles on eating disorders in men are rare and restricted to si ngle case studies. Due to the increasing prevalence of bulimia in indu strialized nations as well as changes in traditional stereotypes and g enderspecific concepts of beauty, the number of men suffering from eat ing disorders is rising. This trend has considerable epidemiological i mplications for scientific research and clinical care. In this article , men with bulimia nervosa are examined under epidemiological, biologi cal and psychological aspects. Data was collected from a university ba sed out-patient clinic specialized in eating disorders and considered representative of West German industrial population.