Eating disorders affect both males and females* in harmful physical and psychological ways. If left untreated, eating disorders can be fatal as the result of premature death from secondary medical complications or self-harm due to depression.

A great deal has been written on females with eating disorders, and support efforts are aimed towards them. Unfortunately, the subject of males with eating disorders has received little attention in literature, the media, and research. N.A.M.E.D. is committed to filling this gap of lack of understanding and support for males with eating disorders.

Andersen (1992) reported that although both males and females exhibit the same symptoms, there are "differences between the sexes in predisposition, course, and onset" of the disease.

The differences between how males and females experience an eating disorder relates to how they are socialized into the culture. The variables of how males and females experience an eating disorder are analogous to looking through orange and brown tinted sunglasses. The same object is seen with both pairs of sunglasses, but the object seen will have a different color perception.