Young men struggle a lot more than was thought with body image disorders

Young men who are overly concerned about building muscle have a significantly higher risk of depression, excessive alcohol consumption on weekends and weight loss diets unrelated to obesity.

They are also four times more likely to use legal and illegal supplements, as well as anabolic steroids, as has shown a new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and from Harvard University.

The study also shows that 10% of men are considered the most common type of body image disorder. That is, they think that they are too fat and want to be thinner.

According to the study, more than one in three young men has dieted in the last year. Their diet was not related to obesity.

The study highlights many alarming results. It is the first of its kind in Norway and internationally to investigate men and their relationships with their bodies and muscles.

The study clearly shows that boys and young men are much more confronted with body image disorders than we have been aware of.

Want the same body as Ronaldo

"I'm thinking of taking anabolic steroids."

"I do not think my chest is muscular enough."

"I feel guilty if I miss a workout."

These and a similar statement were made by 2460 men aged 18 to 32 who participated in the Trine Tetlie Eik-Nes study.

She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science at NTNU. The study was recently published in theInternational Journal of Eating Disordersand suggests that many young men are concerned about a muscular drive.

"The problem arises when bodies of professional athletes like Ronaldo become ideal for normal young men who have a job, education and family." The training must be your full-time job if you want to look like Ronaldo.Thousands of people around the world live sport.Some people train as if they were part of the national team, but these are just sportsmen.It is the difference we need to be concerned about, "says Eik-Nes.

She adds, "The girls are supposed to be slim and have a reduced waistline. Boys should have broad shoulders and big muscles. These are the narrow ideals with which young people are growing up today. It turns out that this unrealistic body image is also difficult for men. as for women. "

Boys asked more appropriate questions for girls

She believes that the body image problems that men face have been neglected by researchers, parents, and health professionals.

"We have been aware of girls and eating disorders for a long time and have the misfortune to grow up with such thin models.Studies were also conducted on young men, but the same questions were asked them. As girls, boys do not want to be thin, they want to have big muscles, so girls' questions are totally wrong if we want to know how young men see each other and see their own bodies, "said Eik. -Nes.

Muscles work like cosmetics

Previous studies have shown that overweight, lean and lean boys are at greatest risk of developing body image disorders in young men. The study confirmed this idea because the desire of men to have a muscular body was not related to their weight.

According to Eik-Nes, muscles become a form of cosmetics for men obsessed with muscles. They do not develop their strength to ski faster, to become better at football or to improve their health.

"They just train to build their muscles, without the training having anything to do with muscle function, it's a big difference," she says.

The challenge of being satisfied with one's own body is the same at all levels of education. The study indicates that highly educated people are no more satisfied with their bodies than anyone else.

Should trigger alarm ringtones

"This muscular desire may be a sign that young men do not control their lives, but they may feel that they have mastered the way of working." In this context, in simple terms, one could say that girls vomit, while boys are much more concerned with exercise than normal, "says Eik-Nes.

She emphasizes that exercise in itself promotes health. That's when training takes over life as it can be problematic.

"Parents should ring the alarm if they have a young person who is at the gym every day, who just wants to eat chicken and broccoli and who consumes shakes or protein supplements all the time." talking with them – for example, asking questions about what they are training for, "says Eik-Nes.

Young Americans were the respondents of the study conducted in the United States.

"The culture and patterns in the western world are largely the same – I do not think Norwegians would respond differently to American men." This is the very first study that shows the relationship between the desire for muscles in men and the risks that this may entail.We must now go ahead and study the extent of the problem, the risk factors and the treatment options, "said Eik-Nes.