BODY IMAGE ISSUES – THE MEN DO GET IT

Traditionally, men seem to have more body confidence. This largely came from maledominated media in the past, where women with “ideal body types” were seen as the norm. This has changed in recent years. Media has turned to showcasing eight packs on men. Male movie stars routinely get into incredible shape for roles that will showcase their buff physique. As a model who started out in the late ‘90s, I saw the “ideal male body type” shift. Back then, if you were in reasonable shape and lifted some weights, you could do body work. By the time I stopped modelling in the ‘10s, if your body wasn’t rippling with muscles and had visible veins in places you never even knew you had veins, then no one would be taking a photo of you with your shirt off. At the same time, the media started showing more diverse female body types. There are plus-size models and ads showing real women (brands using models with acne and scars, not retouching images, etc). It has gone a long way in evening the disparity between mediadriven images of men and women. Although this might not give you added confidence, maybe it helps to know that men struggle with this too. And hey, misery loves company.