Men’s Health Week 2026

Men’s Health Week occurs from 15-21 June, 2026. The theme this year – ‘101 Reasons to See Your GP’ — encourages men to reach out for support – from your GP, or other appropriate health professionals.

Men’s Mental Health: Breaking the Silence

While mental health challenges are common among men — they are often under-recognised and minsunderstood. Stigma, gender stereotypes, and expectations to ‘push through’ can make it hard for men to name what they’re experiencing, to acknowledge the need for support, and to reach out to others.

Statistically speaking, men are more likely to experience depression and anxiety without ever seeking treatment. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for Australian men, with men dying by suicide at around three times the rate of women. These are not simply statistics — they represent real people, real suffering, and real opportunities for more effective support.

While we’re talking about men’s health, it’s also important to recognise that ‘men’ are not a homogenous group. While research points to some patterns in how mental health challenges may present, every person’s experience is shaped by their own history, personality, culture, and life circumstances. Some men might find it difficult to talk about their feelings or ask for help — but many don’t. While some may find it difficult to attune to and respond to their own distress, others may be very aware of their emotional world and able to clearly articulate their needs. Avoiding gender stereotypes matters here: men deserve support that meets them as individuals, not assumptions about how they ‘should’ be struggling.

Some of the more common mental health challenges that affect men can include:

• Depression — which may present as irritability, anger, social withdrawal, or physical symptoms rather than only the sadness that is commonly associated with depression
• Anxiety — including generalised anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and health anxiety
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress — potentially from childhood experiences, relationship breakdown, workplace injury, or other life events
• Burnout and chronic stress — particularly in the context of work pressures, financial strain, or caregiving responsibilities
• Grief and loss — including the loss of identity, role, or relationship
• Relationship difficulties — communication breakdown, conflict, or disconnection

Men’s Body Image: A Long Overdue Conversation

Despite the common stereotypes, we know that body image is not only an issue that impacts women. Men face significant and growing pressure around how their bodies look and perform — which can affects their mental health.

For men, body image concerns often centre on muscularity, leanness, height, or perceived physical ‘flaws’. Social media, fitness culture, and ‘looksmaxxing’ all contribute to a landscape where men’s bodies are increasingly scrutinised.

These pressures can lead to:

• Compulsive exercise or over-training
• Restrictive eating or extreme dieting
• Use of supplements, steroids, or other performance-enhancing substances
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) — a condition involving obsessive preoccupation with perceived physical flaws
• Muscle Dysmorphia — a form of BDD where the person becomes fixated on achieving a particular level of muscularity or leanness
• Shame, low self-worth, and social withdrawal

Body image distress is not vanity — it is a genuine psychological experience that deserves care. 

Eating Disorders in Men: More Common Than You Think

Eating Disorders are one of our most unrecognised men’s health issues — and one of the most significant. In Australia, around 1 in 3 people with an eating disorder are men. Despite this, eating disorders in men are significantly under-diagnosed. They’re often missed because clinicians, families, and men themselves don’t recognise the signs — or because the stereotypes around eating disorders still centre on young, thin women. This means many men are suffering without the support they need.

Eating Disorders Don’t Always Look the Same in Men

Eating Disorders in men can take many forms. Common presentations include:

• Binge Eating Disorder (BED) — the most common eating disorder in men, involving recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period, often accompanied by feelings of shame, guilt, or loss of control
• Anorexia Nervosa — significant restriction of food intake, associate with drive for weight loss or distorted body image
• Bulimia Nervosa — cycles of bingeing and compensatory behaviours such as purging, excessive exercise, or fasting
• Orthorexia — an obsessive focus on eating ‘cleanly’ or ‘purely’, which can mask disordered eating behind the language of health and wellness
• ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) — avoidance of foods based on sensory properties, fear of choking or vomiting, or lack of interest in eating, often occuring without body image disturbance

Why Men Go Undiagnosed

Several factors contribute to eating disorders in men being missed:

• The misconception that eating disorders are a ‘women’s illness’
• Presentations that differ from textbook descriptions — for example, a focus on muscle gain rather than weight loss
• Men being less likely to disclose struggles with food, weight, or body image
• Clinicians not asking about eating concerns in male patients
• Lack of male-inclusive language in screening tools and treatment programs

At Mind Body Well, we take a gender-inclusive and affirming approach to eating disorder support. We understand that men’s experiences with food and body image are shaped by culture, masculinity norms, and individual history — and our therapy reflects that.

Therapies We Provide at Mind Body Well

The team at Mind Body Well provides a range of evidence-based, person-centered therapies for men navigating mental health, body image, and eating concerns. We work with people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and identities — and we are committed to creating a space where all of our clients can feel genuinely heard and supported.

• Psychological Therapy
• Dietetic / Nutritional Therapy
• Eating Disorder Therapy