Trendspotting: Body Image Issues Rising Among Men

NewsWire: 4/28/22

• Teen boys are suffering “bigorexia” fueled by a steady diet of perfect bodies on social media. The same body-image pressures that are leading teen girls to starve down are leading many boys to bulk up. (The Washington Post)
  
• NH: Body-building videos on social media have become extremely popular. Influencers provide guided workouts, nutrition advice, or simply show off their muscles. ATHLEAN-X, a muscle-building YouTube channel, has over 10M subscribers and over +1.5B views.
• But researchers are now sounding the alarm that this steady stream of bulked-up bodies is causing many teen boys' to question their self worth. A 2021 study found that nearly 25% of 16- to 25-year-olds actively worry about the size of their muscles, and 11% use products like steroids to build body mass. Doctors have started using the term “bigorexia” to describe young men obsessed with lifting weights and not feeling strong enough. 
• Doctors warn that this trend is also leading to physical harm. Reports are rising of young men fainting at gyms. Not only are they overexerting their bodies, but they are often weak from limiting their calorie intake. Doctors have also raised concerns about the TikTok trend “dry scooping,” in which people consume protein powder with no water. This can lead to breathing problems and digestive issues. 
• There's nothing new about boys feeling insecure about their bodies. But in the past, most responded by trying to get outside and exercise more. Now, egged on by a large online community, they are trying to orient every aspect of their lives around this single goal--by eating the right foods, going to the gym almost every day, and watching videos of like-minded people. For many young men, getting in shape has become an all-encompassing obsession.