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February 24, 2022    

Men are bombarded with on social media with muscular body images encouraging them to believe that the ideal body is muscular, lean and chiseled.
A recently recognised form of body dysmorphic disorder that occurs almost exclusively in men is muscle dysmorphia, a preoccupation that one’s body is too small, “puny,” and inadequately muscular.

But in reality, many of these men are unusually muscular and large.
They may work out compulsively at the gym and pay painstaking attention to diet and dietary supplements.
A particular concern is that muscle dysmorphia may lead to potentially dangerous abuse of anabolic steroids. Studies indicate that 6-7% of high school boys have used these drugs.

Negative Behaviors
Sometimes coaches and fitness professionals can unwittingly reinforce negative behaviors that are viewed in the industry as “commitment” to a specific goal or performance outcome.
However those in the athletic, strength and conditioning community are becoming more aware of the power of healthy and research-based messaging towards fitness and strength training to prevent these disorders.
They often recognize the signs of eating disorders as well as the signs of body dysmorphic disorder/muscle dysmorphia.

Social Pressures
While the cause of body dysmorphic disorder is unknown and involves many factors such as genetics, neurobiology, evolution, and psychology – recent social pressures for boys and men to be large and muscular almost certainly contribute to the development of muscle dysmorphia.
Muscle dysmorphia is often an underreported disorder, which can lead to disordered eating, unhealthy forms of excessive exercise along with steroid use.

Lack of Awareness
Men are often left out of the discussion regarding body image and disordered behavior. This lack of awareness can lead to unhealthy and unhelpful messaging from many sources including peers, media, the Internet, and one’s own critical, internal dialogue.
The first place to start is with a health professional who has knowledge of disordered eating and can help the affected individual get back on track. The Eating Recovery Center is one place to look for help.

Knowing how to use the right herbs and supplements can often help to understand how products affect muscle growth along with strength training.

This article was first published in the Feb’2022 issue of the Herbal Collective. Subscribe to get the magazine or join the mailing list to receive free samples and regular updates.