UCSF Doctor Pushes to Reclassify Disorder Affecting Men

Millions of American men are struggling with eating disorders, but many doctors aren't trained to spot the signs.

Dr. Jason Nagata at the University of California, San Francisco is working to change that. He's advocating for muscle dysmorphia to be officially reclassified as an eating disorder in the next edition of the DSM, the diagnostic manual psychiatrists use worldwide.

Muscle dysmorphia affects mostly men and involves an obsessive focus on building muscle mass. It currently sits under obsessive-compulsive disorders, even though patients often engage in extreme dieting and dangerous eating behaviors.

The numbers tell a troubling story. About one in three Americans with eating disorders are male, and up to 14% of men experience an eating disorder by age 40. Men may even be more likely to die from these conditions than women.

Yet recognition remains dangerously low. Many doctors simply don't think to screen men for eating disorders, and insurance companies often deny coverage for treatments that don't fit traditional diagnostic categories.

Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics and eating disorders hospitalist at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, sees this gap every day in his practice. He treats adolescents and young adults whose conditions went undiagnosed for years.

Why This Inspires

This push for reclassification isn't just about updating a medical textbook. It's about fundamentally changing how we understand and treat mental health in men and boys.

When muscle dysmorphia gets recognized as an eating disorder, doctors will be more likely to identify patients who need help and refer them to specialists. Insurance companies will have clearer guidelines for coverage, removing a major barrier to treatment.

The change acknowledges something important: eating disorders don't look the same in everyone. While society has long associated these conditions primarily with women, men have been suffering quietly, often without knowing their struggles have a name.

Nagata's advocacy represents a broader shift in medicine toward recognizing that men's mental health deserves the same attention and resources as any other population. When the medical community updates its understanding, lives get saved.

The next edition of the DSM offers a chance to correct a longstanding oversight and ensure better care reaches the people who need it most.