Why it’s so toxic for boys when even the Bodyguard is body shamed
The pressures women face over their appearance are widely acknowledged, and the associated problems of depression, low self- esteem and eating disorders well-documented.
What is much less openly discussed are the pressures men now face over their physical appearance — which is why comments this week by richard Madden sparked such interest.
The actor, whose finely honed naked body caused a sensation in hit drama The Bodyguard, spoke about the demands placed on him in various roles. he said he’s had ‘numerous jobs’ where he’s been told to ‘lose weight and go to the gym’. he’s had his ‘fat rolls pinched’ and been made to wear restrictive costumes to make him look fitter.
While it’s hard to summon up much sympathy for a handsome young man who is paid huge sums to look the part, he does have a point.
As does Tom Brittney, the star of Grantchester and Amazon Prime show Outlander, who recently complained about actors achieving what he terms a ‘build’ body, dependent on strict gym regimes and diet.
It isn’t the actors I worry about, though. It is all those teenage boys and young men who feel that they, too, must look as good as Madden & co, and are bombarded with images of chiselled torsos, bulging biceps and large thighs in films, TV, magazines and adverts, as well as on social media.
There’s no doubt that this is harming their physical and mental health — just as it has done for women.
Adolescent boys, desperate for peer approval and to appear sexually attractive, develop warped ideas around what real bodies look like and unrealistic expectations of their own bodies. FREQUENTLY,
this manifests itself in an obsession with muscularity — and many will go to any lengths to achieve their perfect look.
Many men who go to the gym and have the ‘ideal’ muscled body exhibit behaviours identical to women with anorexia.
It’s been termed ‘ bigorexia’ because the key difference is that, rather than the preoccupation with weight loss, they are fixated on getting bigger muscles.
Most millennials of my acquaintance seem to have a gym habit — which is no bad thing.
Far more alarming are figures that show up to a million people in the uK are using potentially dangerous steroids simply to enhance their appearance.
Around 0.5 per cent of those between the age of 16 to 24 are taking anabolic steroids — drugs which increase muscle mass. No drug has seen a bigger increase in use in this age category. you can be sure that the vast majority of users are men obsessing about their body shape.
There is an obvious parallel here with young girls who develop eating disorders after being bombarded with images of skinny, androgynous women. yet while there is good public health awareness and reasonably good access to Nhs treatment for this group, young men are largely ignored.
London’s mayor, sadiq Khan, banned Tube ads showing images of scantily clad women because of concerns they contributed to poor body image — yet every day I see posters showing bare- chested men with six-packs. No one seems to be objecting to them!
Why is there a double standard? It is estimated that 5 to 10 per cent of people with eating disorders are men. While that’s the percentage of men being treated in eating disorder clinics, I believe this is grossly misleading.
There is a hidden epidemic of men with eating disorders. They are in the gym, lifting weights, knocking back protein shakes or injecting steroids. And, just like anorexics, they obsessively control their diet and physique until it takes over their lives.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be lean and toned. It’s when it turns into an obsession that it becomes a problem. And it’s one we need to address.