When Robbie Williams quit Take That and went on a booze bender for six months, the tabloids sniggered at his expanding waistline. The cheeky pop star was nicknamed 'Blobby Robbie' while picture captions asked 'Who ate all the pies?'. The message was clear: with a six-pack the singer was somebody, but with a belly he was just a sad lump of lard.

Robbie isn't the only male celebrity to get flak for his flab recently. Gladiator star Russell Crowe was nicknamed 'The Flabiator' for putting on a few pounds, while Arnold Schwarzenegger's middle-aged spread got him labelled 'The Tuminator'. Indeed Friends' star Matthew Perry and Leonardo de Caprio get as much stick for being too fat or scrawny as female stars such as Mel C and Ally McBeal's Callista Flockhart do.

The pressure's on
Men are unused to such criticism. Women have been bombarded with images of impossibly perfect girls for years in magazines, advertising, TV and films. Psychologists believe this exposure has contributed to the recent steep rise in eating disorders. And some experts now argue that the rise of fitness magazines like Men's Health, featuring chiselled Calvin Klein-type models, is having a similar impact on men's self-esteem.

Steve Bloomfield of the Eating Disorders Association (EDA) says men account for about 10 per cent of the UK's 90,000 anorexics and bulimics and warns that their numbers are growing. 'The causes are the same in men and women: trauma, depression and social pressures like the media. As concern with the body beautiful rises, so do male eating disorders.'

But Bloomfield explains that while women starve themselves (anorexia), or make themselves sick or use laxatives to get slim (bulimia), male sufferers worry they're too small so work out to achieve their ideal muscular physique. 'They can have a six-pack yet still be anorexic.'

Gym membership in the UK has risen by 49 per cent over the six years. Clinical psychotherapist Dr Roberto Olivardia, co-author of The Adonis Complex which claims men are now more dissatisfied with their bodies than women are, cautions that there is nothing wrong with working out.

But Dr Olivardia warns that if your self-esteem entirely depends on your appearance, and your exercise regime disrupts your social and working life then you may be suffering from a body image disorder. 'Engaging in dangerous practices, such as fasting, dehydration, and steroid use, are red flags that the pursuit of muscularity has become excessive,' he says.

Obsessive behaviour
Former fitness instructor Adam Campbell's exercise regime became obsessive when he went to university. 'I'd been weight training since I was 14 when I was very skinny and decided I wanted biceps. Building myself up brought me recognition from my peers. But I put on weight at uni, living on beer and pizza. And when someone said I was looking a bit chubby, I was gutted. Soon I was working out for four hours every day.'

As well as injuring himself through overexertion, Adam developed an eating disorder. 'I'd binge on junk food like burgers and chocolates. I once had one and a half kilos of chocolate in one go. Half an hour later, I was on an exercise bike. I'd binge, feel guilty and work out even harder.'

Adam didn't recognise he had a problem until he began training as a fitness instructor after graduating. Now 27 and a manager for Hi-Life Fitness and Lifestyle Clubs in London, he exercises sensibly but suspects some men who train at his gym have body image disorders. 'You get huge guys coming in every night training for three or more hours.'

People with eating disorders have a distorted picture of their true size. Research from the USA shows that many body-builders think they are puny. At its most extreme, this is known as muscle dysmorphia or 'bigorexia'.

Muscularity versus masculinity
But Dr Olivardia says that almost all men equate muscularity with masculinity. Most of the 1,000 men he and two other psychologists surveyed over the past 15 years for The Adonis Complex said that they would ideally like to have 28lbs more muscle than the average build.

A recent survey of 596 11-16 year olds suggests that British teenage boys are also obsessed with their appearance. A third of those surveyed wanted to lose weight and more than half said they would prefer to be better looking than play better football. Nearly a quarter would prefer to be handsome rather than wealthy and one in eight would consider plastic surgery to improve their looks.

Clinical psychologist at St Mary's Hospital, London, Dr Louise Payne said the report reflects 'how important looking good is to teenagers' sense of self-esteem and acceptability... Our society is saturated with images of the people we ought to find attractive, and there is considerable pressure on adolescent boys to conform to these ideals.'

Paul, 18, has been working out at a South London gym for nearly three years. He now lifts 85-pound weights with ease but admits he used to be picked on for being skinny at school. Muscularity has brought him respect. 'Men have to look hard,' he says. 'I used to get pushed about. But other guys give me space now and girls like a good body.'

Dr Olivardia warns that it is difficult to tackle men's anxieties about their body image, as they fear being labelled effeminate. 'We need to ensure that men who admit to these problems are not criticised,' he says. 'Men must learn, like women have through feminism, not to be taken in by images in the media. You shouldn't feel bullied into looking perfect. Women have made great gains in realising they don't have to look like some airbrushed anorexic model. And being a successful man is about far more than having big muscles.'

What are the risks of male or 'reverse' anorexia?
Anorexics have low body fat and could be starving themselves of essential nutrients, increasing their risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Over-exercising can cause injury, straining muscles and ligaments.

What should you do if you think a friend is anorexic?
Psychologist Ian Williamson, an expert in male eating disorders advises: 'Don't rush in accusing someone of having an eating disorder. Try to encourage them to share their anxieties, maybe by discussing your own body image.'

Where can I get help?
Contact the Eating Disorders Association on 01603 621414 or visit their website at www.edauk.com.

The Adonis Complex: www.adoniscomplex.com.

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