How Many Men Are Affected?
Body image issues in men are something that can start early.
We get into adulthood, and the statistics dont become any less bleak.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Victoria Mountford, PhD
For young men, there can be pressure to appear muscular or lean.
These pressures start young with male action figures or toys and cartoon characters with exaggerated six-packs and muscles.
Young men will experience the full range of eating disorders.
For young men, there can be pressure to appear muscular or lean, says Mountford.
One condition that primarily affects men is muscle dysmorphia, sometimes colloquially called “bigorexia.”
Its a bang out of body dysmorphia but is often bracketed together with eating disorders due to their similarities.
Its linked to lower self-esteem, as well as past trauma or bullying.
As people swipe on profiles, theyre making split-second judgments about others, andappearancesplay a big role in this.
The pandemic will have had an influence tooopportunities to meet potential love interests in the real world were limited.
However, there are things we can do, and it starts at an early age.
First and foremost, we should remember that boys and men can experience body image issues too.
Likewise, dont assume that your adult male friends wont be experiencing body image issues or something more serious.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
National Eating Disorders Association.Statistics and research on eating disorders.
Tod D, Edwards C, Cranswick I.Muscle dysmorphia: Current insights.Psychol Res Behav Manag.
2020;82(7):387-410. doi:10.1007/s11199-019-01063-7
