Muscle Supplement Obsession One Link in Male Body Image Problems

GAINESVILLE, Fl.University of Florida (UF) researchers reported their study results indicate men obsessed with bulking up are prone to body image problems, and compulsive muscle-building supplement use is one indication of such behavior.

Body image problems, such as eating disorders and striving to be thin, have always been attributed to women, but now were seeing a significant rise in men who are dissatisfied with how they look and want to become more muscular, said  Heather Hausenblas, a UF exercise psychologist and coauthor of the study report. As with extremely thin women believing they need to shed pounds, mens preoccupation with building muscle mass may bear no relationship to their actual size. We found that this drive for muscularity was influenced by psychological factors and not how large or how muscular a man is.

She claimed the male body image issues extend to the use of sometimes dangerous supplements, obsessive exercise, gnawing anxiety and frequent mood swings.

The researchers studied 113 male college students at UF, using surveys and body assessment measures; they found supplement use, low self-esteem and exercise dependence were the strongest predictors of a fixation with being big and beefy, while anthropometric measures such as ones body mass index and percentage of body fat were not factors.

The researchers further theorized the media fuels male body image by way of beefy male magazine model covers and even the physiques represented on male dolls and action figures. In fact, Hausenblas argued this early infection of body image ideals has contributed to the increase in adult male cosmetic surgical procedures such as calf implants, pectoral implants or carving out six-packs. She said supplements are attractive because they offer an easy fix.

Additionally, research now suggests that boys in middle and high school are engaging in some high risk behaviors, taking steroids and other supplements, and restricting carbohydrate intake, to reach a higher level of muscularity, said J. Kevin Thompson, a University of South Florida psychology professor and co-author of the book The Muscular Ideal.

The study report was published in the Journal of Health Psychology (14(6):780793).