Men are catching up to women
in one area. They too are feeling pressure to
achieve perfect bodies, and this can lead them
down unhealthy paths.
The findings of a new study "challenge that
myth that men aren't affected by the media
or other's comments toward their bodies,"
Dr. Tracy L. Tylka, at Ohio State University
stated.
"Men are affected by those pressures in the
media ... or the pressures that others put
on them to look more muscular," she said.
"For some men, this can lead to unhealthy
and potentially dangerous behaviors to try
to reach that ideal," Tylka added in a statement
from the university.
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.
Because the idealized muscular body image
is rooted in society, with "men thinking they're
expected to look a certain way, it can contribute
to very negative things for men," Tylka said.
"Instead of pressuring men to be more muscular,
(we need to) accept men's bodies for what
they are and instead focus on internal characteristics,"
she said. "Stop focusing on appearance, for
both men and women."
Tylka presented her findings earlier this
month during the annual meeting of the American
Psychological Association, held in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
