#117: Misconceptions About Men with Eating Disorders with Andrew Walen

Andrew Walen is the founder of DUDE Mental Health, psychotherapist, and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist with a specific focus on males with eating disorders. He was the founder of The Body Image Therapy Center and Vice President of Eating Disorders Treatment for Refresh Mental Health.

Andrew is the immediate past-President of the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders (NAMED), which merged with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) in November 2019. He currently serves as NEDA’s Senior Advisor on Males with Eating Disorders. He is also a past founding board member of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA). He has appeared on The Today Show, was featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Men’s Health, and many other national and local media outlets as an expert in the field of eating disorders and body image. In addition, he has authored numerous articles and presented workshops at national and international eating disorder conferences. His book Man Up to Eating Disorders, which is a memoir and self-help book directed at males with eating disorders, was published May 2014.

We discuss topics including:

• Andrew’s story and how got to the place he has today
• Men have the same struggles as women
• What is muscle dysmorphia?
• The lack of support groups and treatment for men
• Men’s desire to be “healthy”
• Understanding your genetic and natural make up
• The language to communicate with men has to be different

SHOW NOTES:

• https://dudemh.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/andrewwalen/
• (book) Man Up to Eating Disorders