Could my son be anorexic?

Yes, boys do get anorexia, although it is ten times more common in girls. Perhaps that's because we live in a society where female beauty is linked to thinness. The reasons for male anorexia are not as clear and may include pressure to be thin for a particular sport, such as running or gymnastics. It is also hypothesized to be related to male gender identity problems, since normal male desire is to be bigger and stronger, compared to a female desire to be thin.

Whatever the reasons for the disorder, the manifestations are generally the same. Anorexics share an intense fear of getting fat, an inability to perceive body weight or shape correctly and a refusal to maintain a body weight at or above 85 per cent of normal (based on age, sex and height). The description of your son that you provided seems to fit all three of these diagnostic criteria.

Anorexia does have a genetic connection. It seems to run in families, particularly those with a history of mental illness. (Anorexia is a mental illness with physical ramifications and requires both physical and mental treatment). In fact, half of all anorexics meet diagnostic criteria for depression. Nearly as many suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.