Reverse Anorexia

It's what they now classify as Muscle Dysmorphia, a newly recognized male eating disorder that seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. This condition is similar to anorexia nervosa in that qualifying men seem "unable to be satisfied with [their] appearance" and engage in potentially dysfunctional behaviors "despite knowledge of adverse physical or psychological consequences". As opposed to anorexia, in which the person feels that they are too big or too fat, these men continue to see themselves as too small despite their actual size. Men characterized by muscle dysmorphia "are obsessively preoccupied with their diets and they manipulate their dietary intake in potentially unhealthful ways", including high-protein diets, excessive exercise, use of steroids, and abuse of legal supplements. Just as an anorexic would obsessively count her/his calories in order to decrease or maintain low body weight, someone with muscle dysmorphia is likely to hold themselves to an extremely rigid diet and exercise plan, often forfeiting personal relationships and overall health in the process. These men are also more likely to use bingeing as a form of weight-control. The disorder is more overwhelmingly seen among homosexual men, obese men, and athletes.

The author of this article states as a given that professionals have long assumed that men "are not susceptible to such [eating] disturbances". While reading I noticed myself that I did not hold as much concern for the men suffering muscle dysmorphia as I would for an anorexic female, and realized that I too would underestimate the emotional toll that low self-esteem and poor body image would have on a man. A social psychology course at UCLA taught me that the body/mass index ratio of female models has decreased drastically in the past 50 years. This article noted that the body/mass index ratio of male models has dramatically increased. These public images take physical features that we idealize as "healthy" and "youthful", and exaggerate them to an unhealthy degree. It is no longer just women who are subjected to these unattainable standards; in some sense this new trend is a great equalizer.

Kaminski, Patricia L., PhD. "Male Body Dissatisfaction and the Growing Concerns About Muscle Dysmorphia." Scan's Pulse. American Dietetic Association. Winter 2010, Vol. 29, No. 1.

Fat sans cholesterol?

Stearic acid is a long-chain saturated fat (it is saturated with hydrogen molecules which lead to its solidity at room temperature, among many other properties). Stearic acid is found in cocoa butter (chocolate!), sheanut oil, butterfat, beef tallow, and lard (animal fats that I always assumed to be "unhealthy).

The Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition (consider the source) has compiled several research studies which find that stearic acid is a "special fat"... It is a saturated fat similar to others like myristic acid, lauric acid, and palmitic acid, but differs in one important way: while all of these other saturated fats are proven to raise cholesterol levels, consuming stearic acid does not.

A diet high in saturated fat is highly correlated with heart disease. These studies' findings, however, suggest that stearic acid in itself is not a risk for heart disease, and perhaps could be substituted for other fats in the diet for those who struggle with their blood cholesterol levels. But because stearic acid is usually consumed along with other saturated fats (butterfat is only 12% stearic acid...so what's the rest?) it would be difficult to say that it is "healthy" or "safe" to eat.

An interesting challenge to the sweeping generalization that fat is bad for you!

Griel, Amy, Ph.D, RD. "Stearic Acid: A Unique Saturated Fat". The Hershey Center
for Health and Nutrition.