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2003/11/17, 05:01 PM
Tuesday, November 11, 2003 Posted: 2:12 EDT
by Eston Dunn, MS, BSE, BFA, AFAA, ACE, ACSM
Special For eFitness
OK, guys, time to fess up. Ever look in the mirror at the gym and still not like the ripples of muscle you see? Not satisfied with your six-pack, because it "should be" an eight-pack? Having five percent body fat isn’t lean enough? Then you may be joining the fraternity of men that suffer from muscle dysmorphia, a dissatisfaction and obsession with what they perceive (often inaccurately) as the underdevelopment of their bodies.
In efforts to fix their perceived puniness, muscle dysmorphics compulsively pump iron and monitor minute changes in their body composition like geologists measure imperceptible shifts in the tectonic plates. Many of them take steroids or other muscle-building drugs, despite a catalog of health risks as long as the Physician’s Desk Reference.
Muscle dysmorphia is a subset of body dysmorphia, a phenomenon historically observed almost exclusively in women that manifests in anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. In fact, experts consider muscle dysmorphia to be the opposite of anorexia -- some have labeled it "bigorexia."
Because muscle dysmorphia has only emerged in the last decade or so, there are no solid statistics on it. Experts estimate that anywhere from 300,000 to several million American men suffer from dysmorphic disorders to the point where it destabilizes their lives.
Men comprise 5-10 percent of all cases of anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders, and the number of muscle dysmorphics is estimated to be far higher. This "disorder" affects men of all ages, yet it is most common among adolescents and young adult males, many of them athletes. You find it among bodybuilders and power lifters who work out constantly and who are hugely muscular, but always find a chink in their armor. You’ll hear sentences like "I gotta work out my abs," with the same illogical thinking as an emaciated anorexic who moans, "My abs are flabby and I need to lose weight."
So, what has caused the American male to go from stoic breadwinner to neurotic bread-avoider (too many carbs), from heterosexual to "metrosexual" (a new term for straight urban professionals preoccupied with exercise, clothes, cosmetics and other aspects of their appearance traditionally reserved for the thinking of homosexual men)?
Professionals in this field of study first believe that it is an increasing concern with obesity and the illnesses it causes (heart disease, diabetes...), leading to a morbid fear of fat.
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Secondly, society’s moral measurement of one’s waistline is cited: Being good is being in control, while fat is one of the dirtiest words in our culture. Perhaps more influential is our increasingly youth-oriented culture and what has been called "the glorification of male power" reflected in movies, billboards and the phenomenal rise of pro wrestling.
Men face enormous pressure to attain an idealized image of beauty. As the population gets bigger and the beauty ideal gets smaller, there’s a growing disparity between reality and image. The Schwarzenegger ideal -- broad-shouldered, V-tapered, well-endowed, hypermuscular -- is insistently reinforced by buff celebrities, reality show judges (who belittled the contestants’ bodies), sports talk radio ads (heavy on weight-loss and muscle-building products) and even toys (if the latest G.I. Joe were life-sized, he would sport a 48-inch chest, 32-inch waist and impossible 32-inch biceps). The message that this information is sending to men is that there is something wrong with you.
Evolving gender roles and the greater autonomy of women also have contributed to male insecurity, especially among male heterosexuals. Heterosexual females are more selective in choosing a mate. In the past, heterosexual males just had to be successful; now they have to be successful and beautiful. The incidence of divorce tosses many heterosexual men back into the increasingly competitive dating pool, forcing them to maintain a youthful mien, whether by diet, exercise, or cosmetic surgery: a dilemma experienced in the male homosexual community for decades.
Many men in general are reeling from the blows of an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and impersonal society and the economic displacement it often creates. In a German study, most muscle dysmorphics were from the lower socioeconomic classes and performed poorly in school. The loss of exclusive control over economic assets means that many men, just as women in the past, need to look appealing for more financially well-off mates.
Men who are dissatisfied with their jobs and relationships channel their energies into their bodies, the last bastion of control. That doesn’t mean that men that have scaled the corporate ladder are immune to muscle mania. In the corporate world, one deals with images and how people perceive you.
People see fatness as a lack of control and ambition. That’s why most top executives squeeze time in for their personal trainer -- or have jaw, chest and calf implants. These forces cause men to have poor self-esteem, which afflicts not just the pencil-necked clerk who will never measure up to what he doesn’t know are air-brushed, juiced-up Adonises. That’s why many muscle-bound men who use steroids and human growth hormone to inflate themselves would never enter into a bodybuilding show, for they feel they aren’t ready. They are too insecure.
Compounding the issue is that the reluctance of many men to admit both their feelings of inadequacy and the frenzied muscling up they do to compensate. Men in general do not buy books or look at the issue of dysmorphia carefully. Men either are afraid to admit it or buy into the stereotypes of hunky guys.
Those men, who do notice a problem, often avoid treatment. What they are doing is sacrificing time and money -- if not jobs and families in some cases -- in the pursuit of unrealistically mesomorphic dreams. When a conventional regimen still leaves them feeling like they ’re the scrawny kid picked last in gym, they turn to steroids. Twenty years ago, steroids were rarely found outside the professional bodybuilding circles. Today they are in neighborhood chain gyms.
Experts are devising strategies to treat and prevent muscle dysmorphia. They include educating teachers, coaches and personal trainers on proper exercise and nutrition. In the search for a "perfect body," A man can get bigger, stronger and faster by using state-of-the-art sports medicine, nutrition and training. However, using your own testosterone, not somebody else’s, is more realistic.
Eston R. Dunn graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 1990 with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts and Exercise Science and Wellness. Eston has been in exercise videos and is certified in exercise leadership/personal training through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), American Council on Exercise (ACE), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He is an educator in Anatomy and Physiology and a trainer and teacher at a gym in Wilton Manors, Florida.
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"Get everthing you want--just make a little change now"
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2003/11/17, 05:09 PM
Geez life is complicated. This is one problem I finally can say I don't have.
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Living well is the best revenge.
Charlie
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2003/11/17, 05:51 PM
Yeah; Isnt it just amazing what a person will put his/her-self thru?
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"Get everthing you want--just make a little change now"
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2003/11/17, 09:06 PM
You can argue any point with the right research.
I, however, commend any bodybuilder who looks into the mirror and finds a "chink in their armor."
Break it down from some Freudian Shitzscam into what it really is; I majored in psych. in college, and I will firmly assert that "muscle dysmorphia," is simply a term born of man to allow those without the drive, determination, and strong presence to push forward to belittle or otherwise de-lionize those that are so equipped.
Don't ever, EVER let anyone tell you that your fight for perfection, your drive for a bigger, stronger body, your desire to look like Captain America, or your need to feel strong, young, and energetic is a disability. Let it be arguable, in fact, that anything else is a disability.
Press on, hard-gainers. Don't EVEN use this as an excuse. "Oh, I want more muscles all the time, so I'm seriously ill." WTF? Press on. Build. Work. Become.
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--There are no versions of the truth.--
Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park II
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2003/11/18, 10:50 PM
This society is based on consumerism, greed , and money. And one of the biggest tricks marketers use ( and they are very sophisticated and had years of schooling for this) is to make us feel that there is something inherently wrong with they we were made and they have the product to fix it. Why can't we accept the way God made us. It is not wrong to improve ourselves and to be healthy but to want things that are out of reach (to be tall when short, to have long muscles when short muscled, blue eyes when brown etc) is just plain neurotic and we were programmed to feel that way from day one believe me. Good post. People need to wake up. Just eat well do the activities you like and be your personal best. And accept the fact, we are getting older. Things will NOT be the same.
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2003/11/19, 10:25 PM
All good points...but one should never feel that they are slightly off-center for pursuing their ideal fitness level, regardless of what it is. Keep your end goal in mind, and accept that what lies between you and the end goal is a lot of days of work; days filled with hard work, rest, proper nutrition, and unwavering commitment to shorten that pesky gap that separates you from the goal.
Go get 'um, even if you have a condition listed squarely in the center of the DSM IV, your reward will be success, and eventually, you will be able to discern the progress you've made not buy comparing it to perfection, but by comparing it to the norm.
;)
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--There are no versions of the truth.--
Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park II
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2003/11/19, 11:19 PM
OGUN, I respect your opinion and your knowlege of the psychology field...But when these points are interfering with your daily function, it causes a major self-concept deficit and disequilibrium. Of course you can push yourself to work harder and achieve what you want, but this post states that it can be taken too far to the point of psychosis and distorted thought patterns. Even the most mentally stable person, i bet, has been guilty of thinking "I could look better", its just how that person acts on that thought. There are so many different factors that come into play when diagnosing this psychosis. I too was a psych major and now a licensed therapist(CSW). Great post INTRUDER.
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SHUT UP AND GROW!!!
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2003/11/19, 11:27 PM
This is one of the best responses to nonsense (just more phobia made up from someone with way too much time on their hands) I have ever seen! Probably some pencil neck that eats twinkies and ho-ho's daily. Great reply Ogun!
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Quoting from Ogun:
You can argue any point with the right research.
I, however, commend any bodybuilder who looks into the mirror and finds a "chink in their armor."
Break it down from some Freudian Shitzscam into what it really is; I majored in psych. in college, and I will firmly assert that "muscle dysmorphia," is simply a term born of man to allow those without the drive, determination, and strong presence to push forward to belittle or otherwise de-lionize those that are so equipped.
Don't ever, EVER let anyone tell you that your fight for perfection, your drive for a bigger, stronger body, your desire to look like Captain America, or your need to feel strong, young, and energetic is a disability. Let it be arguable, in fact, that anything else is a disability.
Press on, hard-gainers. Don't EVEN use this as an excuse. "Oh, I want more muscles all the time, so I'm seriously ill." WTF? Press on. Build. Work. Become.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/11/20, 09:12 PM
I'm sticking to my point: there are sometimes when people become obsessed with their bodies and it can be unhealthy. I've seen it too many times to ignore. Being dedicated and hardcore is one thing, but when it interferes with your ability to function, that can be a problem. That was the point to my post..I really hope this wasn't a shot at me!
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Quoting from bb1fit:
This is one of the best responses to nonsense (just more phobia made up from someone with way too much time on their hands) I have ever seen! Probably some pencil neck that eats twinkies and ho-ho's daily. Great reply Ogun!
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SHUT UP AND GROW!!!
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2003/11/20, 09:27 PM
Not from me, I rather liked Ogun's reply. There are just way too many "studies" done these days. I think some of these so called researchers have way too much time on their hands and need to find a REAL job! No, jdelts, your posts are always good and quality stuff.
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Quoting from jdelts:
That was the point to my post..I really hope this wasn't a shot at me!
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/11/21, 03:07 AM
No harm no foul, jdawg ;) All opinions welcome here.
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--There are no versions of the truth.--
Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park II
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