Muscle Dissatisfaction: An Overview of Psychological and Cultural Research and Theory.

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction among men and women in U.S. culture is widespread. It has been well documented that body dissatisfaction in women generally centers on issues of thinness; however, both men and women also experience dissatisfaction in regard to muscularity. The desire for muscularity varies from culture to culture, suggesting that culture plays a significant role in the desire for muscularity.In this chapter, we explore the role of culture in the pursuit of muscularity. Different theories of muscularity, including biological and cultural theories, are discussed. We review multiple lines of evidence regarding the drive for muscularity, whether the drive for muscularity appears to be increasing, and how the impact of the emphasis varies among different groups within U.S. culture. We then explore the presence of the drive for muscularity in some cultures and its relative absence in others. We also explore how the muscular ideal, much like the thin ideal for women, may have started to spread from Western cultures to more traditional cultures. Finally, we suggest ways to examine the area of culture and muscularity in future research.

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