Our impressions and opinions about people often rely heavily on our first exposure to their appearance, which often precedes any other form of direct or indirect information obtained in the process of knowing them. Inferences related to appearance, in turn, are based on socio-cultural norms that define “aesthetic capital”: simply put, physical attractiveness. Consequently, our society propagates several ways of rewarding normative appearances and penalizing deviant ones.
Physical self-presentation can impact social and occupational worth, such as in online dating, hiring decisions, and elections. In this day and age, our bodies represent more than just physical beings. While some consider the body to be a means of self-expression and a connection between the inner self and outer world, another prominent conception of the human body includes the understanding of body politics during organized violence.
Now, pause for a minute and reflect on what comes to mind when you think about “body image issues” or “body positivity.” Most effortlessly, we think of images of women troubled by standards of thinness and beauty, or holding themselves in a loving embrace as an act of acceptance. More often, we think of women with extra weight on them rather than skinny ones.
And unfortunately, almost always, we think that these issues don’t bother men.
Thanks to popular discourse on “body-shaming” in global movements and on social media, body image tends to be viewed as a gendered concept with skewed narratives. But, the fact remains that body image issues are equally common among men, only less discussed.
Understanding Body Image in Men
The perpetuation of perfectionist body image standards and unrealistic ideals is a systemic process that stems from cultural notions of masculinity. A shirtless “macho man” comes to be associated with toughness, power, strength, and aggression - the treasured possessions of a “true” man. The success of celebrities and other influential icons in present society is tied to their physical appearance as the currency to achieve it.
Systemic Causes and Roots of the Issue
As a result of the extreme indoctrination of ideal appearances, stereotypes about weight, including anti-fat bias and compulsive typicality of gender expression, have been linked to parental and peer pressures to conform to set standards. Further, there’s self-objectification that happens through the internalization of these prescriptions. Additionally, consumerism helps plant in the minds of men magnifying glasses for the perception of their own flaws and exerts the demand for “fixing” made accessible with weight loss tablets and protein shakes.
Fat-phobic attitudes are based on the common perception of inadequacy and inferiority of fat men compared to their perfectly thin counterparts. People with such discriminatory ideas attribute characteristics of laziness, un-attractiveness or ugliness, slowness, weakness, inactivity, unhealthy eating, along with lack of willpower, self-control, endurance, strength, security, and self-esteem to fat men.
The problematic depiction of bodies in pop culture seems to aggravate the problem. Media equates thinness to capability and female desirability and rejects non-normative bodies as uncool, unpopular, and unwanted. The animation industry makes children believe that only people with bodies like Superman, with his popping muscles and abs and perfectly muscular thighs, can stand out from the ordinary to earn respect and honor. Casting of people who exceed normative sizes is only as the hero’s “loser” best friend who secretly craves to be like him, with plots of such characters revolving around the pursuit of weight loss or sudden awakening of a shallow soul to see “what’s within,” putting them on the delusional road to ultimate happiness, either through romantic acceptance by seemingly “unachievable” people or the magical attainment of the “hot” body post-intermission.
Impact on Physical and Mental Health
Severe forms of negativity towards the body can result in a mental health condition called Body Dysmorphia. The most common manifestation of this in males is Muscle Dysmorphia, which is characterized by a preoccupation with the idea that the body is too small or not muscular enough. Discontent with the body over long periods is also linked to increased occurrence of anxiety and depression among men. Finally, even though limited, research also indicates the relation of negative body image with eating disorders among men.
Additionally, there are direct effects of overexertion, under-nutrition, and overuse of steroids on physical health in the form of fatigue, and workout injuries from excessive weight regimes, among other illnesses.
Ways to Cope
If you, or a loved one, is struggling with body image issues, here are some ways to cope with the burden of living up to social and personal expectations from your body.
Pay Close Attention to Your Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors involving Your Body The first and most important step towards acceptance and healing is cultivating awareness of what’s wrong with existing patterns of feeding, moving, and perceiving the body. It would help to trace early influences on body image. Awareness also comes from being mindful about not just your diet and workout routines, but also the kind of self-talk that you engage in. Reflecting on bodily goals and motives can be helpful in this process. Talk about this to people you can trust.
Health over Appearance Understand subjective aspects of what holistic health looks like for you. Tune in to the needs of your body, and focus on what makes it feel good. Know your limits to diet, workout, and supplements. Check for behaviors like “ego-lifting,” or engaging in risky practices at the gym. Remind yourself that it is important to nourish and care for this body that lets you experience life.
Self-Compassion and Body-Positivity Take a break from chasing perfection. Try to be kinder to yourself with meaningful words of affirmation. Indulge in believing that everyone deserves to be loved and accepted as they are, regardless of shape, size, or appearance. Try to think about what parts of this body you are grateful for, what it enables you to do and experience. If loving it feels like too much, try to think of what it does to keep you alive.
Analyze the Influence of Social Media on your Views about Your Body Be cautious of influencers and celebrities who promote unrealistic standards of shape, size, and characteristics using temporary or permanent means such as photo editing and cosmetic procedures. Follow content that promotes evidence-based practices for a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget to disengage and detox from the virtual world every once in a while.
Seek Professional Help Recognizing unhelpful patterns causing body dissatisfaction and relearning new ones can be a difficult process. If you find that your dissatisfaction with your body significantly interferes with your physical or mental health, reach out to a therapist who can help explore and unpack difficult emotions such as shame and guilt and develop a positive sense of self including perception of the body in the pink of health.
Written by Anjali Mahalke
Co-author - Aastha Arora