Problems with body image occur in both women and men. Although it is a common stereotype that girls starve themselves to try to be skinny, it can be an issue with guys as well. Especially guys who workout and spend a lot of time judging their bodies. Many guys can also suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder, specifically Muscle Dysmorphia -- jokingly called "Bigorexia."
Muscle Dysmorphia affects relatively 10% of guys. 1 in 50 guys who consider going to the gym to do bodybuilding are constantly worried that they are small or underdeveloped. This can lead to similar problems as those suffering from anorexia nervosa. Symptoms can include: self-confidence issues, malnutrition, or obsessive behavior. A lot of guys who workout frequently get pressure from people with high expectations of them. If you spend an hour and a half a day at the gym six days a week, and you aren’t getting results people expect, then they may think you aren’t even trying.
There is an endless list of outside influences that are pressuring guys to look big and well developed. Starting with bodybuilding in the late 50’s and 60’s, guys have grown up looking at men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stalone, and Hulk Hogan and wanted be just like them. Take a look at a modern movie series "Captain America." Puny little Steve Rodgers goes into a fancy container and gets shot up with a bunch of chemicals and comes out looking like he could walk on stage for a men’s physique show.
A problem that is unique to Muscle Dysmorphia for guys is that most guys are put at an extreme unfair advantage. Most of the time the heroes that guys look up to as role models had an advantage that other guys didn’t. They had access to anabolic steroids. Whether this is cheating or morally wrong isn’t the issue I am writing about right now, but regardless, many guys are comparing themselves to dudes who -- even if they maintained a strict diet and had a perfect workout program -- could never come close to looking like they do.
There is nothing wrong with being competitive, but obsessing over anything beyond what you have control over is never healthy. Going to the gym and working out provides lots of other benefits. Exercise can improve your mood, reduce your stress, and even help you live longer. Even though it provides all these benefits, a lot of guys still go to the gym with the main goal of becoming an aesthetic and changing their physical appearance.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with working hard to achieve gains, but you have to keep in mind that everyone has a genetic limit that they will eventually meet, and it takes years of hard work and dedication to get close to reaching it. Coming to terms with this is the first step to accepting who you are in the gym and learning to love the process, not the end result.
