Body image issues are commonly associated with young women, but they are far from the only demographic to suffer from them. Not only can males suffer from associated disorders like anorexia, there are certain conditions that tend to target them. Bigorexia, also known as muscle dysmorphia, is an affliction where the person is obsessed with becoming muscular, and feeling like they are never brawny enough. And unfortunately, it’s easy to fuel body insecurities and dysmorphia with the curated images of celebrities and influencers on social media.
What is bigorexia?
“Bigorexia is a psychological condition and type of body dysmorphic disorder which involves a distorted self-image that focuses specifically on muscle size and physical appearance,” said Kara Becker to HuffPost. (Becker is a certified eating disorder therapist and national director of eating disorder programs at Newport Healthcare.) This goes beyond the casual desire to exercise and bulk up. It can become an unrelenting obsession.
“Inaccurate view of their own bodies”
What’s even more sinister is that it doesn’t matter how buff they are; they can still feel they aren’t muscular enough. “Individuals may have an inaccurate view of their bodies, often believing they are smaller or less muscular,” said Amy Gooding, a clinical psychologist at Eating Recovery Center, Baltimore. “This belief and subsequent preoccupation can lead to unhealthy behaviors, including obsessive exercise, and may lead to changing one’s eating to be as lean as possible.”
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Bigorexia is increasingly common
A 2019 study examined health data from over 14,000 people aged 18–24. It found that 22% of males and 5% of females reported muscularity-oriented disordered eating behavior. This included dietary changes to bulk up and the use of anabolic steroids and dietary supplements. Disordered behaviors such as these can lead to muscle dysmorphia. This is characterized by a rigid diet, obsessive over-exercising, and extreme preoccupation with physique. In extreme cases, this can lead to social withdrawal, depression, and even heart failure from caloric restriction and overexertion.
