Expert Advocates for Reclassifying Muscle Dysmorphia as an Eating Disorder in DSM
Jason Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, is advocating for the reclassification of muscle dysmorphia as an eating disorder in the upcoming sixth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Currently, muscle dysmorphia is categorized under obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, with a criterion that it cannot be better explained by an eating disorder. Nagata argues that this mutual exclusivity is problematic because muscle dysmorphia frequently involves extreme dieting and disordered eating behaviors aimed at increasing muscularity. He notes that males constitute about a third of the U.S. population struggling with eating disorders, and they may face higher mortality rates. Reclassifying muscle dysmorphia, often referred to as 'bigorexia' or 'reverse anorexia,' would, according to Nagata, improve identification, facilitate referrals to specialists, and enhance insurance coverage for affected individuals. The propo... 
