Males and Body Image

Body image may have little to do with how your body actually looks and is defined as how you think and feel about your body which can include thoughts, emotions, and perceptions of it. A poor body image can often lead to eating disorders, excessive exercise, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, or all of the above. Many people believe that body image issues or eating disorders are just a “woman thing,” but it often happens in men as well.

Silencing the Disorder

Since society views body image issues as more concerning in women or thought to be “feminine,” it is not typically talked about amongst the male population. This can be termed as “silencing the disorder” because it is not as prevalently spoken of for males. Body image issues and eating disorders in men are much more common that you would think. In fact, one in every three individuals with an eating disorder is male, while this statistic is thought to be under-rated. The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness reports that between 2.4 and 3.6 billion men suffer from eating disorders today. It is important that we broaden our horizons with the various populations that can be affected by body image issues and eating disorders.

Media and Body Image

Many male body image issues can vary, but it is very common for males to have thoughts of having a perceived lack of muscle with 25% of normal weight males seeing themselves as underweight and 90% of teenage boys report exercising with the goal of bulking up. This is usually termed as body dysmorphia which is an emerging disorder that includes obsessing over being adequately muscular. These thoughts can develop at a young age from the social pressures to be masculine, use of action figures, looking at magazines, or the movie/video game stigma that males must be tall, tan, and have a 6-pack in order to be good looking or having the “perfect body.” The truth of the matter is that the perfect body does not exist and every body is different and progresses at different rates. Everyone has different stages at which they develop baldness or wrinkles, or how much body hair they have and where, and not to mention size and shape. Take steps to accept and respect your body’s own, unique way of growth and development.

Signs

There are many risks involved with body image issues, but the positive aspect is that there are signs to detect it. More common signs of negative body image are feeling self-conscious in public, believing others see you in a negative way, comparing appearance to that of others, or avoiding public situations altogether. Missing out on social events, parties, or other activities because one feels the need to workout instead is another sign of poor self-body image.

What happens next?

Body image issues can cause a cascade of other problems, or vise versa. Wanting to achieve the “perfect body” (that does not exist) can cause an individual to take on a fad diet that is seen in the media or passed along by a friend. Fad diets can cause a decrease in essential nutrient intake which can cause a decrease in energy levels, negatively alter the metabolism, and can also lead to episodes of binge eating. One may start to turn to supplements as an aid to get the body they desire other drugs that can lead to substance abuse. Not to mention two of the most common outcomes of body image issues being eating disorders and/or excessive exercise which can result in extreme feelings of fatigue, decrease immunity, nutritional deficiencies, and other mental health disorders.

Treatment

It is essential to find treatment for body image issues in order to refrain from resulting in some of its effects. One of the first components is to reflect and pin-point where the body image started. Is it from social media? Being bullied in the past? From comments that family/friends make? Try to do less “body checking.” This means less time analyzing your body in the mirror and measuring less in terms of scales or pinching the skin. Treat body with respect. Fuel it well with nourishing foods and don’t punish by making it exercise to excessive extent or by dieting. Focus on all aspects of life and what your body CAN do. Every body is capable of so much more than we think!


https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/body-image-men