Self Assessment: Do I Have An Eating Disorder?
What people get wrong about eating disorders.
When most people picture an eating disorder, they picture a thin white woman. That image is so deeply baked into how we talk about this that it shapes who gets taken seriously, and who doesn't.
Eating disorders aren't defined by gender, and they're not defined by body size. You can't tell whether someone is struggling by looking at them. Someone can be at any weight, any level of visible muscle or leanness, and still be caught in a pattern of restriction, bingeing, compulsive exercise, or rigid food rules that's taking over their life. Most people with eating disorders are not underweight at all. Assuming otherwise is exactly why so many men, and so many gay men specifically, go years without a name for what they're dealing with.
Research has shown that 1 in 3 people struggling with an eating disorder is male. Gay and bisexual men experience body dissatisfaction and disordered eating at meaningfully higher rates than straight men, and it's still one of the most under-researched, under-treated corners of this field.
An eating disorder isn't just anorexia or bulimia in the way they're usually portrayed. It includes binge eating disorder, orthorexia, atypical anorexia, and patterns that don't fit neatly into a single diagnosis but still take up real space in your life.
Left untreated, eating disorders can lead to serious physical health consequences, and in the most severe cases, they can be fatal. But they are also highly treatable, especially with the right support early on. You don't need to match an image in your head, or wait until things feel dire, to take this seriously.
Is This Disordered Eating, or Something More?
This assessment is meant to help you reflect and notice patterns, not to diagnose anything. It isn't a clinical tool, and it's not a substitute for an evaluation by a licensed professional. If what came up here is weighing on you, or you're unsure what to make of it, reaching out to a therapist is a reasonable next step.
There's no email required to see your results, and nothing here is shared or saved.
Take the test
For each statement, choose how often it's true for you: Never, Sometimes, Often, or Most of the time.
I think about food, calories, or my body more than I want to, most days.
I've skipped meals, restricted, or "made up for" eating in ways that feel more compulsive than intentional.
I've eaten past full, in secret or alone, and felt out of control while it was happening.
I compare my body to other guys' bodies, in person or on apps, more than I'd like to admit.
My workouts feel driven by guilt, punishment, or "earning" food, more than enjoyment.
I've turned down plans, dinners, or intimacy because of how I felt about my body or eating that day.
I have rules about what counts as "clean" or "safe" to eat, and breaking them causes real anxiety.
I check mirrors, take photos, or measure my body in ways that feel more compulsive than casual.
People who know me well have expressed concern about my eating, exercise, or body image.
Even when things in my life are going well, my thoughts invariably shift to food, exercise, and my body.
I've made myself throw up, used laxatives, or exercised specifically to "burn off" what I ate.
I spend a significant amount of time tracking, planning, or researching food and exercise, more than feels sustainable.
I've noticed physical effects, like fatigue, dizziness, stomach issues, or trouble sleeping.
What your answers might mean
Mostly Never / Sometimes: Sounds like food and body image take up a normal amount of space for you, without running your life. You can have a big meal with friends and not think twice about it, skip a workout without spiraling, see a shirtless photo without it derailing your day. This is great! If one specific question still made you pause, get curious. It doesn't have to mean something is deeply wrong for it to be worth more reflection.
A mix of Often, with a few Most of the time: There's something here worth investigating. Maybe you've started turning down dinner plans because you can't predict what will be served, or you've caught yourself doing math on a Saturday you told yourself was going to be relaxed. Maybe a hookup or a shirtless photo sent you into a spiral you didn't expect and couldn't quite shake for the rest of the day. This is common, and it's also common for guys to minimize it, because so much of it is normalized in society and in gay culture specifically; the tracking, the rules, the comparing. But common doesn't mean harmless. It doesn't have to get worse before it's worth talking to someone.
Mostly Often / Most of the time: This is taking up real space in your life, whether or not it's ever had a name. Maybe it's the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing before you sleep. Maybe you've missed things, a date, a trip, time with people you care about, because your body or your eating that day didn't feel "right" enough to show up. Maybe you're exhausted by how much of your headspace this takes, even if you've gotten good at hiding it. You don't need a diagnosis to reach out, and you don't need to have hit some imagined "bad enough" point first.
Reach out today!
If any of this resonated, even a little, you're not alone in it, and you don't have to keep carrying it by yourself. I'm Matt, a licensed psychologist who has spent my career focused specifically on this: helping men make peace with food and their bodies. I know how isolating this can feel, especially when it seems like something you're supposed to have outgrown or should be able to fix on your own.
I practice virtually in MA, NY, ME, and FL, and I'd be glad to start with a thorough evaluation to get a clear picture of what you're dealing with, whether that turns out to be a specific diagnosis or simply a pattern worth working through together. I also run several ongoing support groups for men, some general, others focused specifically on body image and eating, if being around other guys navigating the same thing sounds like what you need.