Former One Direction member Zayn Malik recently opened up about his struggle with an eating disorder while in the band.
The 23-year-old discussed personal and professional challenges in his new self titled autobiography, Zayn.
Thank you, @zaynmalik for courageously sharing your experience with an eating disorder. https://t.co/rEQAsegGpW @FirstAccessEnt
— Claire Mysko (@clairemysko) November 2, 2016
The one time bandmate of Neil, Harry, Liam and Louis reveals his struggle with depression and opened up about his eating habits, a topic that he’s never openly discussed. Specifically saying, this is, “Something I’ve never talked about in public before, but I have come to terms with since leaving the band, is that I was suffering from an eating disorder.”
“It wasn’t as though I had any concerns about my weight or anything like that. I’d just go for days — sometimes two or three days straight — without eating anything at all.”
“It got quite serious, although at the time I didn’t recognize it for what it was.”
Male eating disorders are possibly not as uncommon as you might think. Food and manliness are often intertwined in our culture-making it even more difficult for men to open up about their struggles.
"The pressure to be alpha and not show weakness is one of the reasons there are so few #bodypositive men." https://t.co/miFtIPgWvO
— NEDA (@NEDAstaff) November 3, 2016
At this time, there is limited data available on men and eating disorders due to gender biases and stigmatism men have about coming forward to discuss a “women’s problem”, the National Eating Disorders Association official website stated.
NEDA estimates that approximately 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder in the United States during a person’s lifetime.
#Eatingdisorders are life-threatening illnesses, but help is available. Call the NEDA Helpline at 800-931-2237. #FridayFact pic.twitter.com/AY2sYyrMud
— NEDA (@NEDAstaff) November 4, 2016
Faithwire recently spoke with a 29-year-old male who demonstrated signs of a bulimia nervosa sufferer as a teen.
The millennial requested not to be identified and stated that as an active high school student, he forced himself to throw up food after every meal. An action that originally started to maintain his weight as a high school athlete.
During the one on one lunch conversation, the young man said, “I didn’t really have an eating disorder, I could just throw up on demand into a Gatorade Bottle. I could probably do it right now if you want.”
When asked the question by Faithwire, did anyone in your family know about the throwing up? The man said, no, except possibly my brother.
Earlier this year, Faithwire reported on Joey Julius, a Penn State football player who opened about his binge eating disorder, anxiety and depression via social media and his need to take a break from this current season.
[RELATED: Penn State Football Player Opens up About Binge Eating Disorder]
Julius stated in a Facebook post, “Throughout this whole process I learned a lot about myself. I learned that for the last 11 years of my life I have suffered through a disorder known as binge eating disorder. Although I showed signs of bilemia (sic) through stints of purging from extreme anxiety placed on myself I am certain that binge eating disorder is my true diagnosis thru extensive care this summer for about three months of treatment in St. LOUIS Missouri until July 26th.”
If you are someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, NEDA is available to help. Please call: 1-800-931-2237.