Body Image Avoidance, Body Dissatisfaction, and Eating Pathology

Abstract

With research highlighting the increasing prevalence and severity of body image and eating disturbances in males, particularly athletes and regular gymnasium users, the current study examined body image and eating disturbances in a sample of male gym users and non-gym users (N = 180). Based on previous research, it was predicted that male gym users would report greater body image disturbance (e.g., body image avoidance and body dissatisfaction) and eating pathology, compared with non-gym users. Results of the study partially supported hypotheses, revealing body dissatisfaction and eating pathology were significantly increased in male gym users. However, no significant differences were observed in body image avoidance behaviors, though this is likely because of methodological limitations associated with psychometric measures selected. The study provides preliminary evidence that male gym users do experience subclinical eating and body image concerns, with some also experiencing clinically significant symptoms that could be precursors to the later development of an eating disorder. Results of the current study highlight the importance of educating key stakeholders within health and fitness centers, through community-based interventions, to increase awareness regarding male body image and eating disturbances.

Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents: Differences by Sex, BMI and Type and Organisation of Physical Activity

“…Apart from that, non-aesthetic/lean adolescent PA participants were the only group that showed a desire to be bigger. These results support the theory stating that aesthetic/lean sports participation is linked to higher BD in both females [33,34,39,40,41] and males [35,36,44].…”

“…Moreover, the literature persevered in distinguishing among aesthetic/lean sports (e.g., gymnastics), non-aesthetic/lean sports (e.g., athletics) and non-aesthetic/non-lean sports (e.g., volleyball). Although there is more evidence suggesting that participation in aesthetic/lean sports and, to a lesser extent, in non-aesthetic/lean sports is associated with higher BD than participation in a non-aesthetic/non-lean sport [33,34,35,36], results are contradictory. Thus, some studies in female adults [37] and adolescents [38] did not find differences on satisfaction according to the type of sport—aesthetic vs. non-aesthetic—and only BMI had a significant influence on dissatisfaction [29].…”

Body Image and Nutritional Status Are Associated with Physical Activity in Men and Women: The ELSA-Brasil Study

“…The individuals with 65 years or more were excluded from this study (n = 1591) because the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) used to ascertain physical activity is not recommended for individuals aged 65 years and more [ 30 ]. We also excluded from the present analysis all individuals with a body mass index inferior to 17 kg/m 2 (n = 21) due to the greater probability of health problems that can influence the physical activity practice among this group [ 31 ], as the presence of eating disorders [ 32 , 33 ], body image distortions [ 33 ] and weight loss attempts related to psychological symptoms [ 34 ].…”

Disordered eating attitudes correlate with body dissatisfaction among Kuwaiti male college students

“…The muscular physique has attracted more interest among males as their participation in bodybuilding has increased; this practice can lead to experiencing negative thoughts relating to body image [43]. Body image dissatisfaction is increasingly observed among men and adolescent boys worldwide affecting their quality of life [17, 30, 40, 60, 62]. Body image dissatisfaction negatively influences self-esteem causing long-lasting depression [12] and muscle dysmorphia [29, 38].…”