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Body Image Concerns in Men

Images of unrealistic, muscular ideals are widely represented in the media for men. These are often presented alongside advertisements promoting diet and fitness regimes or muscle-building products which suggest that masculinity is tied to looking or acting a certain way. Behaviours such as dieting, taking body-building supplements and attending the gym regularly to ‘bulk up’ have become more common in boys and men. These pressures can significantly contribute to issues relating to body image.

Research worldwide indicates that body image concerns in men are increasing however, many men still consider body image concerns a female issue and thus have difficulty admitting that negative body image affects them or struggle to know where to turn for guidance on improving body image. 

You will find useful research and resources specific to male body image in this section and will also find practical advice in the general section on improving body image which has been designed to support people of all ages, genders and backgrounds to consider the factors which may be impacting negatively on their body image, and to take positive steps to improve their body image and overall well-being. 

Research on male body image

Social media and body image in men

Associations were observed between social media use and greater body image concerns and eating disorder symptomology in men. The links between social media use, muscularity dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms were stronger for image-centric social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram than for nonimage-centric social media platforms such as LinkedIn. Research indicates a link between Instagram use, selfie activities, appearance comparison, and body dissatisfaction in adult men and suggests that appearance comparisons to the highly muscular male body ideal which appears online influences male body image. Studies also indicates that the discrepancy between men’s actual body perceptions and their perceptions regarding their close female friends’ male body ideal was the most significant predictor of male body muscularity dissatisfaction.

A link was also noted between seeing fitspiration images on Instagram and body dissatisfaction in young men. More frequent viewing of fitspiration content was linked with higher muscular-ideal internalisation and appearance comparison tendency and linked to lower body satisfaction. In addition, frequent viewing of fitspiration content affected motivation to exercise leading to more appearance-based exercise motivation. Research indicates that motivation for exercise has an impact on body image with health based reasons for exercise having a positive impact on body image whereas exercise motivated by appearance or to change body shape was linked to negative body image.  

Social media and disordered eating

Male use of MyFitnessPal, an online calorie tracking app was also identified as linked to body dissatisfaction and to disordered eating with 38% of participants indicating that use of MFP was contributing to their disordered eating.

Men who have higher levels of perfectionism are more likely to interpret socio-cultural messages about appearance as standards that need to be met in order to be accepted by family and peers, which motivates them to try to achieve the “perfect body.” However, their attempts to achieve a lean but muscular body make them vulnerable to developing both muscular dysmorphia and eating disorders.

Relevant research recognises male body image as a source of concern and recommends body image interventions for boys and young men. Literature indicates that such interventions should specifically focus on how social media activities can impact body image in men and focus on increasing media literacy.

Muscle dysmorphia & body dysmorphic disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults.

Muscle dysmorphia is a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder which is becoming increasingly common. In muscle dysmorphia the person holds a delusional or exaggerated belief that their body is too small, too skinny, insufficiently muscular, or insufficiently lean, although in most cases, the individual's build is normal or even exceptionally large and muscular already. It involves a specific dissatisfaction with muscularity rather than the body as a whole. The person may invest significant amounts of time in pursuit of increasing muscle mass and become obsessed with exercising to build muscle mass and consuming foods and supplements to increase muscle. Muscle dysmorphia, which is sometimes called "bigorexia", "megarexia", or "reverse anorexia", is becoming increasingly common in men. It is often also grouped with eating disorders although it is actually a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder.

A person with body dysmorphia or muscle dysmorphia will often require professional treatment to overcome their condition. A positive first step on the road to recovery is acknowledging that this is an issue which may be holding them back in life and taking steps to find out what treatment options are available in their local area. They may benefit from talking to their GP to establish what options are available. A significant part of their recovery will also be in building a positive supportive relationship with their bodies and the information on building the mind-body connection and self-compassion in Improving Body Image Part 2 may be helpful.

Improving body image

Body image concerns can skew our perception, leading us to emphasise the importance of appearance. Make a conscious effort to change this and to shift your focus away from body image. Try to stop judging body shapes or making appearance comments and shift your focus instead to personality traits, abilities or achievements. Remind yourself of the
qualities you admire in friends and family that make them enjoyable to be around. Consider your own strengths, achievements skills and remind yourself that your worth is not determined by your appearance. 

Reduce negative influences to body image

Consider the negative influences to body image in your life and how you can reduce their impact. You will find specific information on this website to help you to challenge media and social media pressure, advice on dealing with negative comments from peers, advice on considering mindful approaches to exercise that promote the mind-body connection and a section for young people which was developed in collaboration with the Bodywhys Youth Panel. See the dropdown menu at the top of the page to select the areas which are most relevant to you.

Mindful media use

We are inundated with media messages promoting unrealistic beauty standards which can make it difficult to accept
and feel happy with our size or shape. It is possible however to become mindful of unhealthy patterns of thinking or negative influences to body image and to choose to lessen our exposure to these. By making a conscious effort to develop healthy habits and an attitude of acceptance towards our bodies, we can greatly improve how we feel about ourselves.

Research on body image in boys

Credos (2016) surveyed 1,005 boys from primary and secondary schools around the UK to explore their attitudes towards advertising and body image, and conducted focus groups of boys aged 8 to 18. Of more than 1,000 boys surveyed, 55% would consider changing their diet to look better and 23% said they believed there was a perfect male body. Most of the boys saw eating disorders (56%) as an issue for both boys and girls and almost as many felt dieting (55%) and extreme exercising (48%) were gender neutral issues. 

Additional research on body image in men

Mellor et al.’s (2010) longitudinal research conducted on a group of men and women between 20 and 86 years of age over two years indicated that a relationship exists between self-esteem and levels of body dissatisfaction. This relationship was strongest in younger women and was such that those with lower self-esteem were likely to have greater body dissatisfaction. However, men were found to place the greatest importance on appearance and had higher levels of body dissatisfaction than women.

Recent research indicates that pressure from the mass media to conform to the ‘muscular ideal’ has a negative impact on men’s body image and self-esteem. For both females and males, concerns about body image intensify throughout adolescence and for males, there is a steady increase in desire to become more muscular each year during their teens.

There has been a rise in the use of apps to track our food, exercise, sleep and more in recent times. Research indicates a link between the use of the fitness tracking app, MyFitnessPal, and the prevalence of disordered eating symptoms in men. They found a higher prevalence of eating disorder symptoms in male users of MyFitnessPal, including greater concern regarding weight and shape and increased dietary restriction. Over a third of the men in the study who used MyFitnessPal said that they saw the app as something that contributed to their disordered eating.

Research indicates that the extent to which men conform to or agree with traditional male gender norms was related to rates of body dissatisfaction. Men with higher levels of conformity to traditional gender norms such as winning, emotional control, violence, and risk-taking were at greater risk of experiencing concerns about body image. Research states that there has been a rise in eating disorders and concerns about body image in men and suggests this may be a result of greater visibility of men in the media and the promotion of the muscular ideal.  

Body image and ageing in men

Some of the research conducted in this area suggests that in comparison to younger men, middle-aged and older men experience greater body satisfaction and have a more positive body image overall. In addition to this, there is typically a
decreased drive for muscularity in middle/older men when compared to younger men. However, some research has found that adult men may become less satisfied with other aspects of their appearance as they age. There is evidence to suggest that many men tend to become more concerned with their weight and attempts to lose weight increase as they age.

It is increasingly common to see anti-ageing and other similar products targeting middle-aged male audiences. The hair loss industry, body building supplements, weight loss products and calorie or fitness tracking apps are increasingly used by men of all ages. Adhering to rigid diet or exercise routines can lead us to feel less satisfied with our body image and less connected to what our body needs. If you find that you are concerned about bodily changes or weight changes and that these are impacting on you negatively it may be important to consider what changes you could make to support yourself in enjoying life more.

Focusing on the physical signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, hair loss or weight changes may lead you to exaggerate the importance of appearance which may hinder your enjoyment of life. Begin to notice the critical voice in your head that is focusing on these physical signs of ageing and make a conscious choice to shift your focus away from body image. Make an effort to refrain from commenting on or judging people on their appearance and instead to focus on the personal qualities that make them enjoyable to be around. Extend the same kindness to yourself and consider your strengths, positive qualities, skills and achievements. Consider whether there are any new interests or activities you could pursue to shift your focus away from body image to your well-being and enjoyment of life at your present life stage. Make a list of goals or activities you would like to work towards that would help you to enjoy life and start to work towards these goals.

Research indicates that developing a greater appreciation for and connection with our bodies can promote positive body image. Make an effort to tune in to your body and what it needs. Tune in to your senses and consider what textures, colours, tastes and smells appeal to you and make an effort to incorporate these simple pleasures into your day. Consider what fabrics feel good on your skin, what foods make you feel good. 

Choose to slow down and listen to your body. Check in with yourself and give your body what it needs, this may be rest, a warm bath, a walk in the fresh air, a hot meal. Respond to these needs and you will start to build a positive supportive relationship with your body. Dress yourself in clothes that fit well and are comfortable, move your body in ways that feel good to you, treat your body with care and learn to enjoy the body and life you have.

Become critical of what you see the media messaging in relation to body image and ageing. Avoid comparing yourself to the glossy unrealistic images of older models in the media. Remind yourself that these are edited to look as they do and that companies selling anti-ageing and dieting products intentionally promote insecurity to trigger people to purchase their products. Make a conscious effort to ignore these messages and to strive towards well-being and enjoying life rather than the pursuit of unrealistic ideals.

Useful Resources + links: male body image

With Superheroes Comes the Pressure of Unrealistic Male Bodies 

It’s not just about weight and muscle, male body image affects the whole person — but there are ways to help you manage.

📝 Document: America’s National Eating Disorders Association’s document on enhancing male body image - click here.

🎧 Podcast: Appearance Matters Podcast: Male body image - click here. 

🎥 Video: Body Image: A Male Perspective - A Bodywhys Webinar featuring Barry Hennessy (former Limerick hurler), Daniel O’Boyle (RTE Documentary, Unspoken), Conor Nolan (Author), Maeve O’Keeffe (Bodywhys Youth Panel) click here

🎥 Video: The following resource is a TED Talk given by researcher Dr. Scott Griffiths on the topic of muscle dysmorphia - click here.

📰 Article: “Feeling constantly pressured to look like that ‘ideal’ eventually changes your perception of your own body. And it definitely changes what you can be happy and satisfied with” – Matt McGorry, Orange is the New Black actor - click here.

📰 Article: The media pressure impacts negatively on body image and self-esteem in men - click here.

📰 Article: Fitness apps and disordered eating in men - click here. 

📰 Article: Conformity or agreement with traditional gender norms was found to be a risk factor for male body image concerns - click here.

📰 Article: Body concerns intensify across adolescence for both males and females. Amongst boys, the desire for bigger muscles increased each year across adolescence - click here.

📰 Article: High levels of body dissatisfaction in men aged 20-86 (mean age 59) and greater importance placed on appearance than female participants - click here. 

📰 Article: A longitudinal study (15 years) showed a positive impact of yoga on body image in young adults, both male and female - click here.

📰 Article: Research has found greater body satisfaction in beginner and experienced yoga practitioners than in those who engage only in weight training and aerobic exercise - click here.

📰 Website: Further information about men & eating disorders - click here.

📰 Article: Gym culture and male body image pressure - click here.

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