GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER -- A fan favorite on the Penn State football team told the world about his personal struggle off the field.
Joey Julius is a standout player for Penn State's football team but what many people do not know is the Nittany Lions kicker has a very personal struggle.
Julius shared that struggle Friday morning with Good Morning America.
Many watch Joey Julius on the field every week and think about how great he is and how happy he must be.
But Friday, the 21-year-old kicker appeared on Good Morning America to discuss his eating disorder. Julius wanted to tell people he suffers from binge eating disorder.
Julius suffers from binge eating disorder, a condition where someone eats large amounts of food in a short period of time and loses control over their food intake. He discussed his condition on Good Morning America.
"I would have to lay down to the point where I was so sick i couldn't move. There were some times I would cry," Julius said.
"It's very hard to stop, so that loss of control, the sort of negative effect involved in it, shame and guilt," said Jessica Lawson.
Lawson is a resident clinical psychologist at Geisinger Medical Center. She treats patients with binge eating disorder. She says around 20 million women and 10 million men reportedly suffer from eating disorders in the United States, but she believes the number of men could be higher because many do not come forward.
"I think it's under-emphasized that men absolutely actually struggle with eating disorders," Lawson said.
Lawson believes Julius is a role model and may encourage other people suffering to come forward.
"Often there's a lot of relief that comes after seeking treatment and learning new adaptive ways of coping with whatever negative effect might be triggering that behavior."
Joey Julius told Good Morning America that even though he got treatment, he understands binge eating is something he will cope with for the rest of his life. But right now he is doing great and is a standout on the football field.