Defined as a preoccupation with one’s perceived lack of muscularity, muscle dysmorphia is becoming increasingly prevalent, causing what experts are calling a ‘silent crisis’ in men’s mental health
Defined as a preoccupation with one’s perceived lack of muscularity, muscle dysmorphia is becoming increasingly prevalent, causing what experts are calling a ‘silent crisis’ in men’s mental health
I wonder why a man with muscle dysmorphia doesn’t simply build his muscles? This is a serious question.
Same reasons any person with fat based dysmorphia shouldn’t just lose some weight. Dysmorphia requires an incorrect self perception, so he may actually be reasonably fit but still feel like he’s not muscular enough. And secondly getting to movie star levels of muscles is a massive time and lifestyle commitment that’s not exactly good for you. A well defined 6 pack will become less defined by doing things like properly hydrating. Starving yourself and constantly pushing your lifting schedule will get you seriously hurt. These actors are not living a healthy lifestyle and they have experts helping them stay in this shape.
It’s totally cool if some guys want that body and the lifestyle attached, I’ve known some people who loved the fact that they always knew what they were going to eat down to the gram, but if eating the exact same amount of the exact same thing every day spending several hours a day exercising isn’t your thing you shouldn’t feel ugly or like you’re failing to properly fulfill your gendered expectations.
As a woman with body dysmorphia I’m extremely sympathetic to these men because the resources to help me accurately gauge what a healthy weight is and to understand my experiences and cope with it without developing anorexia have been lifesavers. Men deserve similar resources and the ability to comfortably express the vulnerability that comes with it.
It’s almost impossible to become as muscular as many of the swolemodels™ you see online, without years of intensive exercise and/or drugs/steroids. A lot of it is also in large part genetic, especially stuff like a defined six pack.
And even if by some miracle of genetics, steroids, lack of injury and enough free time, they do somehow manage to become very muscular, it will still not be enough because they will inevitably run into an absolute beast who puts them to shame.
Which is part of the business model. Fitness influencers roided up to the gills, selling insecure young men overpriced creatine adjacent supplements that, although useful, will never allow them to make the gains they want.
Because for one the expectation of how their body looks isn’t organic. It’s force-fed to them everyday on social media, in movies, magazines etc…
Genetics and drugs