进食障碍在澳大利亚男性中的发病率正以加快的速度上升。据统计，约36.5万名澳大利亚男性患有进食障碍[1]，这一数字比前列腺癌患者多约46%[1]。其中，15至19岁的年轻男性受影响最为严重[1]。昆士兰州的公立医院数据显示，男性进食障碍患者的入院人数在2010年至2019年间增加了6倍[1]。
进食障碍长期以来被认为主要影响女性，但男性患者的快速增长挑战了这一观念。男性患上未被诊断的进食障碍的可能性是女性的4倍[1]，反映出该群体面临的诊断困境。这一现象与多重因素相关：社交媒体、网络影响者以及所谓的"肌肉导向进食障碍"（MODE）对男性患者的显著影响[1]。与此同时，根深蒂固的性别刻板印象导致男性延迟寻求帮助[1]，长期的污名化进一步阻碍了他们获得及时的医疗干预。
Approximately 365,000 Australian men are living with eating disorders, a figure that exceeds the number of prostate cancer patients by about 46 percent [1]. The prevalence of these conditions among males is increasing at a faster pace than among females, with young men aged 15 to 19 experiencing the most significant impact [1]. Hospital admissions for eating disorders among males in Queensland alone increased sixfold between 2010 and 2019 [1].
Historically regarded as conditions predominantly affecting women, eating disorders in men have long been underdiagnosed and underrecognized. Men are four times more likely than women to remain undiagnosed with an eating disorder [1]. This diagnostic gap reflects broader challenges including gender stereotypes that discourage men from seeking help and a lack of awareness about male vulnerability to these conditions [1]. Social media, influencers, and muscle-oriented eating disorders—often referred to as MODE—have emerged as significant contributing factors for male patients [1].