The study of body image in men is a relatively recent phenomenon. Until the 1980s, the study of body image was largely restricted to women (Grogan, 2008). Appearance in general and body image in particular has become very important constructs in contemporary western societies. Among males, cognitive distortions mainly focus on muscularity, which is known as Muscle Dysmorphia. Muscle Dysmorphia, also term Bigorexia, is a form of body dysmorphic disorder in which men become obsessed with the idea that they are not muscular enough (Parent, 2013). According to Thomas F. Cash (2004), a leading expert on body image, body image encompasses one’s body-related self-perceptions and self-attitudes, including thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors.
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Over the years, the media has influenced men and women on the basis of how they should look, for example, Levine and Chapman argued men are expressed by the media to be tall and lean, also to be fashionably dressed and/or exceptional (“chiseled” or “ripped”) muscularity (as cited in Cash & Smolak, 2011, p. 102). According to Levine and Chapman’s research related to media exposure, the more a young boy or young man is exposed to fitness magazines and other sources of media conveying fashion and fitness, the more likely that individual reports lower levels of body satisfaction (as cited in Cash & Smolak, 2011, p. …show more content…
(2004), analysis of body image and associated psychological traits were explored among 154 college men. The author’s comprehensive battery of measurements included a novel computerized test of body image perception using the Somatomorphic matrix. The Somatomorphic Matrix allowed participants to navigate through a range of body images, spanning a wide range of body fat and muscularity, to answer various questions posed by the computer (Olivardia et al. 2004). These presented body image examples the students used to navigate through were pictures depicting other men with a variety of different body appearances. Participants of this study were also assessed for depression, eating disorders, self-esteem, and the use of performance-enhancing substances. The author’s findings concluded that many American men displayed significant body dissatisfaction and that this dissatisfaction is closely associated with depression, eating pathology, use of performance-enhancing substances, and low self-esteem (Olivardia et al. 2004). Research conducted by Parent (2013) reported that men consistently report a desire to become bigger and more muscular, as evidenced by discrepancies between men’s ratings of their present and ideal bodies. This muscle-focused desire seems culturally and evolutionarily motivated per the reports of women and other men. Increased levels of men’s drive for muscularity has been associated to many unfavorable health related outcomes.
Over the years, the media has influenced men and women on the basis of how they should look, for example, Levine and Chapman argued men are expressed by the media to be tall and lean, also to be fashionably dressed and/or exceptional (“chiseled” or “ripped”) muscularity (as cited in Cash & Smolak, 2011, p. 102). According to Levine and Chapman’s research related to media exposure, the more a young boy or young man is exposed to fitness magazines and other sources of media conveying fashion and fitness, the more likely that individual reports lower levels of body satisfaction (as cited in Cash & Smolak, 2011, p. …show more content…
(2004), analysis of body image and associated psychological traits were explored among 154 college men. The author’s comprehensive battery of measurements included a novel computerized test of body image perception using the Somatomorphic matrix. The Somatomorphic Matrix allowed participants to navigate through a range of body images, spanning a wide range of body fat and muscularity, to answer various questions posed by the computer (Olivardia et al. 2004). These presented body image examples the students used to navigate through were pictures depicting other men with a variety of different body appearances. Participants of this study were also assessed for depression, eating disorders, self-esteem, and the use of performance-enhancing substances. The author’s findings concluded that many American men displayed significant body dissatisfaction and that this dissatisfaction is closely associated with depression, eating pathology, use of performance-enhancing substances, and low self-esteem (Olivardia et al. 2004). Research conducted by Parent (2013) reported that men consistently report a desire to become bigger and more muscular, as evidenced by discrepancies between men’s ratings of their present and ideal bodies. This muscle-focused desire seems culturally and evolutionarily motivated per the reports of women and other men. Increased levels of men’s drive for muscularity has been associated to many unfavorable health related outcomes.