Health experts are concerned about a rise in eating disorders in men and boys, fuelled in part by the “looksmaxxing” social media trend promoting extreme and dangerous behaviours such as starvation diets, compulsive exercise and steroid use.
A Perth clinic has observed a five-fold increase in male admissions which it believes is just the tip of the iceberg, including recent presentations of “reverse anorexia” which involves the pursuit of a lean, muscular figure.
It comes as a new national campaign urges Australians to understand the warning signs of eating disorders in men and boys, who present differently to women, amid fears thousands are going undiagnosed.
Male presentations at Esus Centre’s outpatient program in Perth have increased by 73 per cent to 66 in 12 months while its intensive treatment program admitted 15 males in 2025/26, compared to just three the previous year.
Founder and psychiatrist Vash Singh said it was a nationwide trend, yet thousands of more cases remained unknown to health services.
“We believe we are only now starting to see the surface of what has always been an under-recognised problem,” Dr Singh said.
“This may partly reflect growing awareness and a slight reduction in stigma, but it also suggests that previously these presentations were simply not reaching us.”
She described social media as a “significant and growing factor” in disordered eating behaviours.
Controversial influencer Clavicular is an extreme looksmaxxer, attracting followers and fury for the drastic measures he takes to enhance his looks.
Dr Singh said the looksmaxxing community, which encourages males to optimise their appearance through extreme diets, obsessive supplementation and excess exercise, was a concerning development.
”Boys and men tend to internalise muscular and athletic body ideals with low body fat, and looksmaxxing communities amplify and monetise these ideals in ways that can tip vulnerable individuals toward disordered eating and muscle dysmorphia,” Dr Singh said.
“What makes this particularly insidious for males is that the content often doesn’t look like diet culture, it’s framed as self-improvement, discipline, and peak performance.
“The manner in which this content is presented makes it harder for young men and their families to recognise when it has become harmful.”
The Butterfly Foundation, which this week launched a new awareness campaign about eating disorders in men, said rates were increasing faster than eating disorders in females.
The charity estimates 365,000 men in Australia are living with an eating disorder, but the real number is likely to be far higher.
Butterfly’s clinical programs manager Grace Collinson said influencers and social media platforms were increasingly normalising extreme behaviours which, over time, could lead to eating disorders, body dysmorphia and mental health issues.
These behaviours included starvation diets and harmful practices known as “bone smashing”, a DIY trend which involves using a blunt object to hit facial bones in an attempt to reshape the jaw line.
“Extreme exercise, rigid clean eating, and relentless cutting or bulking cycles are often admired online, and within many fitness spaces, even when they might be causing significant physical or psychological distress,” Ms Collinson said.
“There needs to be stronger safeguards around harmful content, including greater accountability from content creators, platforms, and algorithms that promote extreme dieting, compulsive exercise, steroid use, or appearance-based shame.”
Media veteran Mark Beretta has joined Butterfly as an ambassador for its latest male-focused campaign, and said too many men were suffering in silence.
“None of us is immune. I’ve seen many body image issues and problematic thoughts and behaviours in men go under the radar, which just exacerbates the problem,” he said. “Men don’t talk about these issues, but we need to start.”
For confidential and free support for eating disorders call the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit www.butterfly.org.au