When you think about eating disorders, you picture a woman crouching over a toilet vomiting her meal. You see a frail and thin woman standing in front of a mirror telling herself she is overweight.

You think of Karen Carpenter, Princess Diana, LaToya Jackson.

But guess what? Men have eating disorders, too.

It’s something that’s often overlooked by most of society. According to research, it is estimated 85 to 90 percent of eating disorder patients are women.

But the 10 to 15 percent of men who also fall victim to eating disorders should not be overlooked.

There is constant criticism that the portrayal of women in the media, advertising, movies and much more gives way to eating disorder cases. Women think they must have that perfect body, be it Kate Moss or Cindy Crawford.

Although they may not be so numerous, such images of males also exist. Take the “Diet Coke break” man, weightlifters, bodybuilders or Tyson Beckford (the Polo model) for example.

Men want to be fit, up and down. And that’s a lot to live up to.

Often times, men who suffer from eating disorders are ones who are in athletic training.

Because the emphasis on males is to be muscular, men tend to eat a lot and then exercise a lot, say officials at Iowa State’s Student Counseling Services.

Gay men also can suffer from disorders because they may feel they must fit into the thin stereotype of their lifestyle.

And because the spotlight of eating disorders shines on women, men often don’t know where they can turn for help. It might violate that “macho” image.

But there are avenues for help, even at ISU.