• Posted April 3, 2026

Psychotherapists Often Poorly Trained in Treating Muscle-Linked Disorders in Males

Boys and men can also develop eating disorders, and rates for these psychiatric issues are rising — even as psychotherapists admit they have trouble spotting and treating them.

So finds a new study of 259 American and Canadian psychotherapists.

"Boys and men with eating disorders are often hiding in plain sight," said study lead author Kyle Ganson, assistant professor of social work at the University of Toronto. "Many clinicians simply haven’t been trained to recognize the unique ways these issues show up in male clients."

The study noted that "by some estimates, 1 in 7 men in the United States will experience a full-syndrome eating disorder by the age of 40." 

One Canadian study found "an over 400% increase in pediatric hospitalizations for eating disorders among boys" in the province of Ontario between 2002 and 2019, Ganson's team noted.

But the new report found that psychotherapists are often ill-equipped to spot these cases. 

When questioned, most clinicians said they lacked formal training in spotting body dysmorphia and eating disorders in boys and men, which are focused more on muscle-building and not characterized by excessive thinness. 

Males struggling with body issues — "muscle dysmorphia" in particular —  can exhibit behaviors such as cutting, bulking up and obsessing about exercise, the study authors noted.

However, only a small minority of the psychotherapists said they'd received any training in male eating disorders during their undergraduate or graduate studies. 

“Clinicians are telling us they want more tools," Ganson said in a university news release. "They’re seeing boys and men in their practice but don’t feel equipped to address the muscularity-focused concerns that are often central to these cases."

In the researchers’ view, clinicians need training in understanding how gender norms can first trigger body-related stigma in boys and men, and then prevent them from seeking help when their behaviors get out of control. 

While many psychotherapy approaches are modeled on eating disorders in females, more needs to be done to create models based on male-specific body image issues, the researchers believe. 

Ganson said he's teaching such a course at the University of Toronto.

“We designed the course to close the training gap we’re seeing in the field,” he said. “Students leave with practical tools, including how to assess muscularity-focused symptoms, how to adapt treatment language and strategies for boys and men, and how to address stigma and barriers, so they can deliver competent, affirming care right away.”

The study was published March 30 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

More information

Find out more about eating disorders in males at the University of Pittsburgh.

SOURCE: University of Toronto, news release, March 31, 2026