August 24, 2006
DYSMORPHIA
Interesting. Gothamist.com links today that women aren't the only people with unhealthy body images that lead to maladaptive behavior. From Reuters:
Previous research has linked the sexual objectification of women in society to disordered eating behaviors among women. During the last three decades, however, men's bodies have also become increasingly objectified in the media.
One study showed that men who were exposed to ads that included a more muscular male image later expressed more dissatisfaction with their own bodies than those exposed to neutral ads. "Men see these idealized, muscular men in the media and feel their own bodies don't measure up," according to Tylka.
In light of such research, Tylka investigated the relationship between the pressure to become more muscular and men's adoption of certain behaviors. For her study, 285 male university students, mostly freshmen, completed various surveys about the pressure to be muscular and it's ramifications.
On a scale that ranged from "never" to "always," the study participants reported that they "often" felt pressure to be muscular, according to Tylka. They "often" or "usually" internalized the muscular images presented by the media -- i.e. believed that the only desirable shape is the highly muscular body type. They were also "often" or "usually" dissatisfied about their bodies.
These college men also reported that they "sometimes" engaged in maladaptive behaviors, Tylka reported.
Men who were dissatisfied with their muscularity, for example, were likely to be more preoccupied about becoming more muscular, which led to their use of supplements and possibly steroid use as well, to achieve that muscular image, according to Tylka. Dissatisfaction with their level of body fat predicted a higher preoccupation with counting calories and cutting off certain food groups, she explained.
Too fat, get a heart attack or Type II diabetes. Go the opposite way and you have an eating disorder. I think Americans have a pathological problem with pathologizing everything. Over the past nine months I've tried to take some sensible dietary rules into account, like don't eat cheesesteaks at 4am, don't feel the need to finish oversized portions at restaurants to the point where one feels ill, cutting down on unrefined flour and sugar, and getting more exercise. So far, so good. I've probably lost 35-40 pounds in the last year.
Still, people who never complained about my growing girth and me packing a double chin at 32 have started commenting on my weight loss, with pejorative tones. Not a lot of people; almost everyone I know. It's not very flattering. The thing is, I'm pretty much at my prescribed healthy body weight right now. Instead of adopting a healthier diet, I feel like I've contracted cancer or some wasting disease. Long story short: one can't win.
Tagged:Posted by Lexiphane at August 24, 2006 11:13 AM
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