Men 'are secret bulimia sufferers'

20 April 2008 12:00am

Eating disorder experts say conditions such as bulimia could be under-diagnosed among men, following John Prescott's revelation that he suffered from the illness.

Mr Prescott, 69, admitted that he "took refuge" in bingeing on comfort food before vomiting it up during the stressful early years of Tony Blair's Labour government.

He wrote in the Sunday Times that he had not had bulimia for over a year and hoped that his revelation would help other sufferers.

"I'm sure it was to do with stress. I wasn't doing it all the time, and there would be gaps of weeks and months, but during those years when we first got into power, I let things get on top of me and took refuge in stuffing my face," he said.

Praising Mr Prescott's admission as "hugely brave and courageous", consultant psychiatrist Dr Ty Glover said the confession would help other men with eating disorders.

The medic, a specialist with Affinity Healthcare which operates the eating disorders unit at Cheadle Royal Hospital in Cheshire, added: "Bulimia can be brought on by work stress. For some people, they use drink, drugs or cigarettes as an emotional crutch. For John, it was food.

"It's believed that one in 10 bulimia sufferers are men but I have never in all my years as a consultant specialising in eating disorders come across a man this old suffering from bulimia.

"It seriously makes me think that maybe we're completely missing a whole audience of middle-aged men who are too scared to admit they have a problem.

"John's bravery will hopefully encourage more men to stop suffering in silence and come forward to seek treatment."

While girls and young women aged 12 to 20 account for 80% of new cases of eating disorders, boys and men are also affected, eating disorder support charity Beat said.

Susan Ringwood, Beat's chief executive, said: "It is probably under-diagnosed - even a doctor doesn't necessarily think it can affect a boy or a man."

She warned against trivialising or ridiculing Mr Prescott's bulimia, pointing out that serious eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness.

"Anybody could have this condition, including people who are in the public eye," she said.

"People absolutely shouldn't be ashamed. We need to get past that huge stigma that is associated with an eating disorder."

Mr Prescott said his bulimia dated from his appointment to Labour's shadow cabinet in the 1980s and the long hours he put in drafting policy documents.

He would gorge on burgers, chocolate, fish and chips, crisps or Marks & Spencer trifles - and sometimes even a whole tin of Carnation condensed milk.

Although he tried to keep his eating disorder secret from his wife Pauline, she realised what was wrong and persuaded him to see a consultant, who confirmed he had bulimia nervosa.

Mr Prescott, who resigned last June and will retire as an MP at the next election, is now supporting an NHS campaign to raise awareness of eating disorders.

He wrote in the Sunday Times: "I've never confessed it before. Out of shame, I suppose, or embarrassment or just because it's such a strange thing for someone like me to confess to.

"People normally associate it with young women - anorexic girls, models trying to keep their weight down, or women in stressful situations, like Princess Diana."

Mr Prescott details his battle with the illness in his memoirs, which will be published next month.

There are thought to be more than a million people in Britain with an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia, 90% of whom are women.

© The Press Association