When it comes to eating disorders, we tend to think of women (and really, women of a certain size). But one in 15 men in the U.S. will deal with an eating disorder at some point in his life. That’s why it’s such a big deal that Joey Julius, the kicker on Penn State’s football team, opened up about his struggle with binge-eating disorder in a letter to fans on Facebook:

I was admitted into the McCallum Place on May 9th for eating disorders. Due to my increase in… weight but also depression and anxiety, my team physicians started to notice not only a change in my overall happiness but also my performance as a normal human being. Throughout this whole process I learned a lot about myself. I learned that for the last 11 years of my life I have suffered through a disorder known as binge eating disorder.

Thinking of eating disorders as a “women’s issue” makes it that much harder for men struggling with the illness to speak up and get the help they need. Julius’s post has sparked a huge discussion, with many others (including plenty of men) sharing their own stories:

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