If Barbie dolls give young girls a distorted image of what the female body should look like, are boys receiving the same messages through GI Joe and other action figures? And as many women feel shame and dissatisfaction with their bodies, are men struggling with similar issues?
Although traditionally, most people affected with body dissatisfaction and eating disorders are women, an increasing number of men are coping with the same issues. In fact, just as some women worry about having unnaturally thin thighs, men can become obsessed with having a "washboard" stomach or "bulking up" because they feel they're too puny.
What are the signs?
Not every guy who goes to the gym on a regular basis has a distorted body image. But there are signs and symptoms of overdoing of which to be aware. Research led by Dr. Roberto Olivardia and Dr. Harrison G. Pope, co-authors of The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession, has found that men who are dissatisfied with their bodies are more likely to:-Report that they are very dissatisfied with their bodies and can spend more than three hours a day thinking about their muscularity.
-Admit having little or no control over compulsive weight lifting and dietary patterns.
-Avoid activities because they are uncomfortable with their body.
-Avoid participating in activities they previously enjoyed.
-Skip work or other responsibilities to exercise.
Who is affected?
Experts estimate that about ten percent of eating disorder patients are men. However, this number may be low because of underreporting. Men are often reluctant to seek help for a syndrome commonly associated with women. Health care providers aren't used to identifying the signs of eating and body image disorders among men. Also, it may be easier and more socially acceptable for women to talk about body dissatisfaction and food issues than it is for men.Men with body dissatisfaction are very similar to their female counterparts in many ways. In a study by Drs. Olivardia and Pope that looked at 200 college-aged men in Austria, France, and the US, men were shown a computer image of a male body and were asked to adjust the image three times; first, until it reflected their own bodies; then, to what they wanted their bodies to look like; and finally, to the body type they thought women found most attractive. Although the images of their own bodies were fairly accurate, the men's ideal body type was on average 28 pounds more muscular than their own. And they thought women wanted even more muscle than that.
Preoccupation with body image and appearance takes up mental energy that could be used on other activities such as enjoying friends, studying, and creative thinking. Also, these men are more likely to use dangerous anabolic steroids to achieve the look they desire.
Why does this happen?
Evidence suggests that cultural influences play into the development of body dissatisfaction just as they do with more traditional eating disorders. Magazines and movies bombard women with images of ultra-thin models and actresses, while men are confronted with images of muscular models and actors. And, as female movie stars get thinner, male actors are getting bigger. Marilyn Monroe and James Dean have turned into the ultra-thin Laura Flynn Boyle and pumped-up Bruce Willis. There is a culturally defined ideal that men are big and women are small.
Body dissatisfaction among men may be a growing trend, and like body image issues among women, it is a multi-faceted problem. If you suspect that you or a friend is over-exercising, or too concerned about his muscularity, then encourage him to talk to a health care professional.
