Soaring numbers of men are seeking help for eating disorders with cases up by almost half in two years, figures reveal.
Experts warn social media and growing pressure to look good are fueling mental health problems.
And they claim too few men are getting help for illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia.
New figures uncovered by BBC Panorama show between 2014 and 2016, the number of men referred for eating disorder treatment has risen 43 percent to 871 cases.
The disease has the highest death rate of any mental health illness.
But the latest figures are just the tip of the iceberg, with 400,000 men and boys thought to be affected.
Eating disorder charity B-eat agrees the true number is likely to be much higher.
Several high profile sports people have now spoken out about their struggles with mental health and body image.
International rugby referee Nigel Owens revealed his struggle with bulimia.
Speaking on Panorama, which will air this evening, he said he first developed the disorder when he was 19, adding: “I was fat, I was overweight, obese in my eyes.
“I started making myself ill, I wanted to lose weight so I’d go to the toilet and I’d make myself sick pretty much nearly every meal.”
Male athletes are 16 times more likely to develop an eating disorder in comparison to average men, research reveals.
Experts said the pressure to maintain their appearance and perform may put them at greater risk of mental health struggles.
A spokesman for B-eat said anyone can be affected by an eating disorder.
It estimates around one in four cases are in men.
The charity said the rise in numbers seeking help may be a result of greater awareness.
Its spokesman said: “We know that eating disorders can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background, but the risk is highest for young men and women between 13 and 17 years of age.
“Stereotypically eating disorders are seen as a ‘female disease’ and we work hard to discourage this misunderstanding.
“Eating disorders in men are often described as ‘under-diagnosed, under-treated and misunderstood.’
“Despite the lack of research, there is good evidence that there is a much greater proportion of males with eating disorders not receiving treatment, than the proportion who are able to access specialist eating disorders services.
“This discrepancy seems to have led to considerable underestimates about the prevalence of eating disorders in males.”