Men and Body Image

Men and Body Image

 

I liked the chapter regarding men’s relationships with media. I had only wished it went more in depth with some of the negative side effects that the media can have on a man’s body like a woman.  We don’t talk about anorexia or bulimia very often with men, but it is out there.  There is even slang for, “manorexia,” referring to anorexia in males. 

 

In a study by Gueguen 2012 it has been shown that after hospitalization, men with anorexia were more likely to die from suicide quicker than women. 

So why can’t men face the same body images that woman do and feel the same?  Is it the gender roles we so fiercely hold in our country?  If we applied the same body image these are some of the theories we would apply to men:

·         Men unhappy with their bodies and develop unhealthy eating habits

·         Men having lower self-esteem

·         Men feeling pressured to be a certain weight

·         The more television and man watches the more pressure he has on his appearance

·         Men considering cosmetic surgery

 

I don’t think this is something that is very unrealistic, but something that needs to be looked at more.  Could we help fix all self-esteem issues by looking at the media’s role in not only women, but men body images?

 

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-body-image

Gueguen, J., Godart, N., Chambry, J., Brun-Eberentz, A., Foulon, C., Divac, P., & ... Huas, C. (2012). Severe anorexia nervosa in men: Comparison with severe AN in women and analysis of mortality. International Journal Of Eating Disorders, 45(4), 537-545.