Body Image 3

Shaping Male Body Image

In a recent article from Seed Magazine, Brandon Keim talked about male body image and the media’s role in shaping men’s attitudes towards their appearance and physique. In his article, twentieth-century guru, George Gerbner said that what we see on TV and in magazines eventually becomes our standards of reality and desire. This point of view is similar to the articles by Region of Peel Health, as they state that the ideal look today has become increasingly lean and muscular.

Region of Peel believes that guys today tend to get the message from sport magazines that having the perfect body structure and little body fat will define them as “real men.” Surveys show that increasing numbers of men and boys are feeling unhappy with their bodies, therefore, proving the fact that girls and women aren’t the only ones with body image issues anymore.

Facts gathered from the book “Making Weight” by Arnold Anderson also verifies that fat is not just a feminist issue anymore. Body issues are now the realm of both women and men. Like the last two articles, this book covers the negative impacts of magazines and other forms of media on men. Topics include eating disorders, sexuality, nutrition, plastic surgery and other concerns that men have today regarding their own image and appearance.

Comparing Information, Facts, and Statistics

However, even though these three articles have the same general view of fashion and sport magazines as a negative medium for males, information and facts on body image also differs in some ways. Brandon Keim, for example, has more direct information based on studies and surveys concerning male body image. After a survey has been done on 179 undergraduate males at the University of Michigan, it has been concluded that students who are bombarded with different forms of media tend to be more uncomfortable with their “real bodies” (sweat, hair, smell).

Region of Peel Health and the book “Making Weight” particularly did not have surveys and direct studies proving that body issues are commonly evident in the male realm. Anderson’s book is considered to be more directional rather than informational, as it helps readers educate themselves and come to understand men’s conflict with food, weight, shape and appearance. It provides instructions, rather than facts, on how to take control of your health and life.

Men Are Affected Too

Reading these articles clearly show that women are not the only ones who are bombarded with “perfect” images and body structures. Men too are affected by the constant message that beauty is the defining aspect of one’s knowledge and worth. It is important to understand that society has changed over the years.

Today, men are seen as sexual objects, posing in sports magazines often with no shirts on. The pressure to look “perfect” has also been imposed on them, which often results into negative body image.