“I need to go on a diet.” “Does my bum look big in this?” These are not the typical statements you hear in the men’s changing room of the local gym. But to the one in 10 people with anorexia who are male these statements are too close for comfort, as I found out personally during my four year battle with anorexia nervosa.

I had always been a fat child, and I was also born with a congenital deformity of my lower right leg. As these together made me stand out like a sore thumb, I decided as a teenager that the least I could do was to lose some weight. My looking slim and trim would not only benefit my leg but also attract attention from girls, something most teenage boys crave. Unfortunately the health regimen slowly turned into …