Body image disorders: anorexia nervosa versus reverse anorexia (muscle dysmorphia)

Abstract

Background: Among body image disorders, anorexia nervosa (AN) in females and muscle dysmorphia (MD) in males, emerge as the more representative. Objective: To describe the relationship of clinical characteristics between AN and MD. Method: A review of specialised textbooks and the available literature in Medline/PubMed and SciELO was made. Results: There are similarities and differences between both disorders. They begin in adolescence, show a great diagnostic crossover, use/abuse of pharmacological drugs, similar co-morbidities, improvement with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and behaviouralcognitive psychotherapy, they are focused in body image, but AN pursuits thinness while MD muscle development. From a psychosocial perspective, body image disorders come out due to western socio-cultural pressures related to gender role stereotypes, which emphasise a slim feminine figure versus a vigorous masculine one. The nosological classification of MD is controversial and it has been including within the obsessive-compulsive spectrum of the DSM-5. Conclusions: Both disorders imply body dissatisfaction with different degrees of body image distortion, even reaching delusional dimensions. Future studies are required which can lay the foundations of new categorisations of these disorders that better clarify their essence.

Erkek Vücut Geliştirme Sporcularında Vücut Kompozisyonu ile Benlik Saygısı ve Beden İmgesi Arasındaki İlişki

“…Body image disorders arise due to western socio-cultural pressures (strong and muscular masculine figure, slim feminine figure). For decades, the focus of body image disorders has been on the female gender, whose ideal is reflected in the weak appearance in the West, and recently there has been increasing interest in their research, as body dissatisfaction rates are equal in both males and females (Behar & Arancibia, 2015). This fact is based on specific reports stating that males will not be satisfied with their appearance (Soohinda et al, 2020;Modica, 2020).…”

“…It is seen that males who experience muscle dissatisfaction and are seen as a high-risk population for body image disorders typically participate in physical activities that increase muscle size and strength, such as football, rowing, weightlifting or competitive bodybuilding (Behar & Arancibia, 2015;Babusa et al, 2015). In the study of 328 French males of normal weight (mean age 21.9±2.4 years); It has been stated that body and muscle mass dissatisfaction may be in a significant minority of young males and may also lead to a greater risk for depression and eating disorders (Valls et al, 2013).…”

Propiedades psicométricas del Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) en una muestra de hombres y mujeres jóvenes chilenos

“…Investigaciones previas sobre la imagen corporal se han centrado, generalmente, en la preocupación por alcanzar una imagen corporal delgada en mujeres, lo que ha llevado a concluir que los hombres, en comparación con las mujeres, estarían menos insatisfechos con sus cuerpos (Cruzat-Mandich etal., 2016;Durán et al, 2013;González-Carrascosa et al, 2013). Sin embargo, existen estudios que han evidenciado el interés masculino por el logro de un cuerpo más voluminoso y musculado, lo que da cuenta de que también experimentan insatisfacción respecto a su imagen corporal (Aylwin et al, 2016;Behar y Arancibia, 2015;Grieve, 2007).…”

Recherche de prise de masse musculaire et dysmorphie musculaire chez les bodybuilders : une revue de la littérature anglophone

“…La DM a tout d'abord été nommée « anorexie inversée » en raison des points communs avec l'anorexie mentale, aux niveaux cognitif et comportemental (Pope, Katz, & Hudson, 1993). Ces points communs ont récemment été confirmés dans la revue de Behar et Arancibia (2015). Il a été montré que 29 % des haltérophiles atteints de dysmorphie musculaire ont un passé avec de l'anorexie nerveuse, de la boulimie nerveuse ou des crises de l'alimentation, alors que ce n'est pas le cas chez les haltérophiles sans DM (Olivardia, Pope, & Hudson, 2000).…”