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Smoke, Mirrors, and unrealistic expectations. The role of social media on men's body dissatisfaction

We have all seen the models that grace the covers of fitness magazines and fitness posts. Men have perfectly chiseled abdominal muscles, bulging biceps, large pectoral muscles, and the "perfect" square jawline. These images are meant to draw us in and drive us to achieve the "ideal body." However, this constant exposure to pictures of the "perfect body" is damaging to men's mental health and dissatisfaction with their bodies. The most common place to find images of men that appear to have the "ideal body" is the social media app Instagram. The ideal body is having bulging pectoral and bicep muscles, a full head of hair, minimal body hair, and a small waist.
The constant exposure to this "ideal body" has increased the prevalence of body dissatisfaction among men by over 50%. Of all men who were hospitalized with an eating disorder, 95% reported body dissatisfaction that went beyond the desire to be muscular. 

Men who were recruited for multiple studies reported the following pages on Instagram that displayed men with the ideal body style. Being subjected to the ideal body image leads to an internal comparison among men. Men then believe that if they work out long enough and eat just the "right" foods, they too can have this ideal body. This internal comparison of bodies leads to an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders, muscular dissatisfaction, and in some cases, suicidal ideology. When men view these images, and they begin to compare themselves to what is portrayed, they are unaware of what went into making the man in the picture so ideal.

The two images below are the same man; the only difference is that the American "ideal body" version on the right has been edited to appear more masculine and to appeal to the viewer. The original picture on the left is simply of the man without any editing or effects. The difference between these two images is shocking and is deceiving to the people who view them. These images show that anybody can be transformed into the ideal body and that frequently, the imagery projects the perfect body to a level that is unobtainable without the help of computer enhancements.


Both of these images are the same man; one has just had a touch of smoke and mirrors to leave you believing that you too can have this body if you work for it.

Not only are many of the posts on Instagram fitness pages enhanced to appear ideal, but these images can also explicitly be found on pro-eating disorder websites. This alarming fact deems for a call to action by the Instagram community for stricter guidelines on posting pictures and stronger filters for enhanced photos. By changing how Instagram allows users to post content, we can reduce the risk of future generations of men for developing an unhealthy relationship with their bodies.









Comments

  1. Angelica ANovember 21, 2019 at 11:38 AM

    Now that non-diet health providers, HAES, and IE are becoming more popular in our culture, do you foresee the "ideal body type" and BMI changing and/or becoming obsolete?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bmurphy2November 21, 2019 at 1:33 PM

      Sadly I feel that as long as mass media (television, movies, print media) idolizes the ideal body, it will remain present in society. I do feel that this is job security for those who advocate that ALL bodies are important and beautiful!

      Delete
  2. Rachel L.November 21, 2019 at 1:37 PM

    I was floored when you mentioned that the "ideal man" is hairless... I feel that's definitely not the case today! I have noticed a trend in the "dad bod." In any case, I feel that dietitians need to take on the HAES ideal because health doesn't always mean existing in a smaller body. Thank you for your very professional presentation; I learned a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Micayla BitzNovember 22, 2019 at 9:22 AM

    I found your research very interesting because it seems that so much of the discussion in the mainstream media is related to female body image. What is your opinion on #fitspiration or fitness accounts on Instagram? Do you think these influencers should be forced to include disclaimers or advise their followers about healthy practices. It is definitely a tough topic, thanks for talking about it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sadie ZahrbockNovember 25, 2019 at 10:53 AM

    The images you show absolutely shocked me. It's so sad that we feel like need to create this ideal body image. Even the discription of the "ideal body" is ironic because that doesn't sound ideal to be or even attainable. How are there ways to expose this type of airbrush to help those who are struggling with an eating disorder or to prevent other eating disorders and body obsessions before they occurr?

    ReplyDelete
  5. EllynNovember 26, 2019 at 5:48 PM

    After seeing how much an image can be photoshopped, I really wish there was a stamp that had to be displayed on every photo that has been altered in any way. I'm curious as to whether any of the research you looked at discussed whether the ads displayed to these users also played a part in them developing an eating disorder and/or body dissatisfaction. I often feel like many ads (especially Halo Top Ice Cream) try to make you feel guilty for enjoying food/drinks with calories.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SarahAndeNovember 26, 2019 at 8:05 PM

    I liked the voice of this post! It felt conversational, which often works quite well for blogs because they are often intended to be less formal than academia. I also of course love the topic; this is important work that needs to be discussed more. We talk a lot about these things with women, but it is so important to include everyone in these discussions because it affects them too.
    For most of the post, it feels like you are presenting a bunch of facts. This part is done well, but I felt that it lacked a purpose until I reached the last sentence, which made it clear that this post is informing the reader of why we should work to change how instagram functions. Putting this at the beginning of the post will give everything context and give your readers motivation to read and learn more.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alicia LoutersNovember 27, 2019 at 5:31 PM

    I really liked your topic. In the U.S., body image is talked about a lot but usually addressing women. I had never really noticed that the body positivity movement hasn't really extended to men. It seems today men are held to much more impossible standards than women. I really like your idea about regulating Instagram. However I don't know how this could realistically be enforced. What are your ideas about this?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Erik BelzNovember 27, 2019 at 7:25 PM

    I really appreciate you writing on this topic. Male body issues are not talked about enough and it is a very important issue. It is easy to get lost down the fitness rabbit whole on Instagram, which leads to pro-eating disorder pages that promote incredibly unhealthy meal plans and dieting plans. Thank you for your research.

    ReplyDelete
  9. nsimmelDecember 3, 2019 at 1:12 PM

    I was always interested in the topic of beauty standards portrayed in Instagram and their negative impacts. Sadly it never occured to me that those idealized beauty standards would affect men like that as well and I am shocked at how much pictures can be edited and changed nowadays. It would have never occured to me that those two men in the pictures would be actually the same person. People, men and women, should not be deceived like that and this issue should be made even more public.

    ReplyDelete

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