Using Objectification Theory to Examine the Effects of Media on Gay Male Body Image

Lanzieri, Nicholas; Hildebrandt, Tom

doi:10.1007/s10615-015-0562-1

Cited by 21 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…We did not, however, find elevated odds of UWCBs based on sexual orientation. Prior research have found sexual minority men to be at greater risk for eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, compared with heterosexual men [40–42]; studies also suggest that sexual minority men place high priority on physical attractiveness and thinness [43, 44], as well as increased desire for muscularity [45]. .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study

Tran

Suharlim²,

Mattie

et al. 2019

J Eat Disord

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Background Online dating has become increasingly popular over the years. Few research studies have examined the association between dating apps and disordered eating. In this study, we evaluated the association between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs) among a sample of U.S. adults. Methods Our sample includes 1769 adults who completed an online survey assessing dating app use and UWCBs in the past year. Survey assessed participants’ self-reported frequency of using dating apps within the past 30 days and engagement in six UWCBs with the purpose of lowering weight or changing their body shape within the past 12 months. UWCBs included vomiting, laxative use, fasting, diet pill use, muscle building supplement use, and use of anabolic steroids. Results Results of multivariate logistic regression models suggest dating app users had substantially elevated odds of UWCBs compared with non-users (odds ratios [OR] range = 2.7—16.2). These findings were supported by results of additional gender-stratified multivariate logistic regression analyses among women and men. Conclusions This study’s findings contribute to the limited literature exploring the association between dating app use and adverse health outcomes, particularly UWCBs. While additional longitudinal and representative research is needed, public health professionals ought to explore dating app use as a potential risk factor for UWCBs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40337-019-0244-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study

Tran

Suharlim²,

Mattie

et al. 2019

J Eat Disord

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“…Whilst the question of the desirability of the male body has been connected to concerns about the relationship men have to their own bodies, links to critical scholarship on sexuality have been made only in relation to white gay men (Goltz, ; Jankowski, Fawkner, Slater, & Tiggermann, ; Lanzieri & Hildebrandt, ; Saucier & Caron, ). Saucier and Caron (), for example, analysed images in gay men's magazines targeting a white, gay male audience such as Instinct and found that youthfulness, nakedness, hairlessness, whiteness, and muscular, slim bodies were consistently idealised.…”

Section: Thematics Of Masculinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Men and masculinity in men's magazines: A review

et al. 2018

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This review article provides a thematic synthesis and overview of 30 years of research into the study of men and masculinity in men's magazines. Over 100 articles, book chapters, and books were reviewed to explore how scholars have approached the study of masculinity in such magazines and identify four major areas of inquiry: the commodification of masculinity; the relationship between sexism and misogyny in men's magazines and men's attitudes towards women; the vulnerability of men to, and the role of magazines in the construction of, men's body image anxieties; and the increasing sexualisation of men's bodies. The strengths and potential limitations of these four thematic approaches are identified, including an insufficiently nuanced account of the ways in which men might actually engage with images and ideas about masculinity in such magazines; an overly singular view of male sexuality that naturalises sexist and predatory behaviour; and an overemphasis on men's bodies as sites of vulnerability, risk, or crisis at the expense of more substantive considerations of the relationship between the representation of body modification practices and technologies, and men's embodied identities. The review concludes with an overview of the present field and some suggestions for future research.

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“…For example, gay men have been found to be at an increased risk for internalization of appearance ideals, the experience of societal body ideals, making physical appearance comparison, depression, and body dissatisfaction (Boisvert & Harrell, 2009; Frederick & Essayli, 2016; Lanzieri & Hildebrandt, 2016; Russell & Keel, 2002). Because Western society has conflated muscularity and masculinity and because of ubiquitous homonegativity, gay men may believe they have to affirm their manliness in a heterosexist society via the size and shape of their physique (Badenes-Ribera, Fabris, & Longobardi, 2018; Lanzieri & Hildebrandt, 2016). In reaction to this societal-level demasculinization, gay men may become preoccupied with their eating habits, diets, exercise routines, and other appearance-modifying behaviors that are needed to acquire a desirable body (Lanzieri & Hildebrandt, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual orientation, eating disorder classification, and men’s psychosocial well-being.

Strübel

Petrie

2020

Psychology of Men & Masculinities

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In a sample of 676 men, we examined (a) the relationship between men's eating disorder (ED) classification (asymptomatic vs. symptomatic/clinical) to theoretically and empirically identified psychosocial correlates (i.e., body image concerns, sociocultural pressures, internalization processes, and depressive symptomatology) and (b) determined the extent to which sexual orientation moderated those relationships. To test our hypotheses, we used the PROCESS v2.16 macro. Consistent with the tenets of objectification theory as well as past research, the men, regardless of sexual orientation, who were classified as symptomatic/clinical reported more sociocultural pressures, greater internalization and appearance comparisons, stronger investment in their appearance, greater body dissatisfaction and shame, and more depressive symptomatology than did those who were asymptomatic. Further, independent of ED classification, the gay men in our sample reported higher levels of distress across all the outcomes than those who were heterosexual. Sexual orientation moderated the ED relationships with pressures to be lean, appearance orientation, and body shame such that the relationships were stronger for gay men who were symptomatic/clinical than the other groups (e.g., asymptomatic gay men, symptomatic/clinical heterosexual men). The current study supports existing literature that indicates a relationship between level of ED classification and various psychosocial outcomes in men, particularly for those who identify as gay. Public Significance StatementGay men who were classified with an eating disorder, compared with gay men without an eating disorder and heterosexual men with or without an eating disorder, reported experiencing the highest levels of body shame and the most pressure to have a lean body. These same gay men also reported spending the most time and energy on improving their physical appearance. Although eating disorders have long been viewed as a feminine affliction, many boys and men currently are subjected to a range of societal messages about how they should look (i.e., lean and muscular), eat, and behave that can increase their risk of developing unhealthy relationships with food and eating. Such risks may be exacerbated by sexual orientation due to the increased importance of, and focus on, physical attractiveness and bodily appearance that exist within the gay community.

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Using Objectification Theory to Examine the Effects of Media on Gay Male Body Image

Cited by 21 publications

References 50 publications

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study

Dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors among a sample of U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study

Men and masculinity in men's magazines: A review

Sexual orientation, eating disorder classification, and men’s psychosocial well-being.

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