Male Body Image

Overview

While online “Body Positivity” campaigns can be greatly beneficial, it often neglects coverage of male-specific issues. Statistically, young girls and women are at a higher risk of experiencing public criticisms based on the appearance of their bodies, but, too often, young boys and men are left out of the conversation. There are a number of contributing factors to the decrease in body satisfaction and body image amongst boys and men exacerbated by the Internet, primarily social media. Despite the threats social media poses against male body image, it can also be utilized to combat the detrimental effects and improve the mental health of our young boys and men. 

"Bigorexia" and Male Body Image

While "#thinspiration" targets women to become smaller and thinner to match ideal standards of beauty, men are targeted by the #cheatmeal phenomenon to gain weight and muscle. This pro-muscularity trend involves pictures and videos online of muscular men eating massive quantities of food, qualifying as a "binge" episode. Eating disorders in men are primarily revolving around men in sports or other professions requiring a muscular physique. Men's body image desires online primarily then revolve around large muscles and the "v-shaped" physique so often seen online (Flannery et al., 2021). This heavy desire for large muscles then evolves into what is referred to as "bigorexia". This is the opposite of anorexia, in which the person strives to be bigger physically- specifically in terms of muscles. This desire to be bulkier can cause men to develop depression and addiction to steroids that would aid in growing muscles faster.

Eating Disorders

Body positivity movements, both online and in-person, primarily focus on women. As we know, women are at a significantly higher risk of falling victim to body shaming, succumbing to body dysmorphic ideas and behaviors, and, in severe cases, developing eating disorders. While women’s bodies are more likely to be targeted by beauty standards and criticized for their ability to conform to such, the manifestations of male-specific symptoms and behaviors are widely overlooked. In fact, roughly seven million U.S. men will be affected by eating disorders (EDs) at some point in their lives (Nebel-Schwalm et al., 2021). The severity of EDs, their critical impairments, and their treatment methods have pervaded the field of Psychology for decades, but the rise of the Internet introduces new challenges and opportunities for advancement of research. 

Gender disparity creates an additional obstacle in addressing the risks and symptoms of EDs. Largely, empirically-supported treatment programs and plans for EDs are geared towards women and ignore male-specific criteria (Nebel-Schwalm et al., 2021). Research notes that, “muscularity-oriented body image and eating and related body change behaviors” (Nebel-Schwalm et al., 2021) pose a particular threat to men and boys in respect to their ED risk level. Further, this “muscularity=masculinity” mindset perpetuates the stigma surrounding men who seek mental health treatment. Thus, boys and men are likely to engage in behaviors such as “steroid use, excessive protein intake, binge eating, and unhealthy exercise” (Nebel-Schwalm et al., 2021) in order to achieve the unattainable Western male body standard. 

The Internet can both exacerbate and mitigate the spread of disordered eating habits, excessive compensatory behaviors, and poor body image. For example, individuals and media corporations can utilize photo editing technologies (e.g. PhotoShop, airbrushing, photo filters, etc.) to manipulate the appearance of one’s body so that it adheres to body ideals (Nebel-Schwalm et al., 2021). Moreover, these digital tools and softwares can create a disconnect between men’s bodies and their perceptions of them, further distorting their body images. However, implementing media literacy initiatives can help promote awareness, decrease stigma, and “reduce disordered eating through promoting education and activism around ED risk factors” (Nebel-Schwalm et al., 2021). Such programs are not flawless, and minimal research has been conducted to determine their efficiency. Nonetheless, implementing media literacy programs in schools, support groups, and community organizations can open the conversation and help decrease stigma surrounding male-specific body image concerns. 

How to Cope with Male Body Image Issues