Male body dysmorphia is rampant — but not enough people realize

Collage by Easton Clark, Photo Editor

Being scared when a drop of sauce hits your plate is the sign of an eating disorder. Extreme bulking and cutting is not healthy for the human body. Smashing the bones in your face to be a certain shape is body dysmorphia.

Male internet spaces have branded these actions as the standard. It’s healthy living. There’s nothing wrong with trying to look and feel your best. But underneath the “looksmaxxing” and gymbro trends, something more sinister lies. It is the creation of a generation of men with deep, undiagnosed issues with their bodies and diets.

For the longest time, the societal belief was that body dysmorphia and eating disorders only affected women. But now, one-third of all diagnoses are men. And there is a large unreported subsection of the population.

There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that using a hammer to shape your facial structure is a bad idea. No mentally well person does that. But the manosphere has deemed it a good idea. A way to perfect your look. That is insane.

While those perpetuating this idea should be shamed, I think society needs to be empathetic to young boys who have been sucked into this way of thinking. It is nearly impossible to grow up in a society that tells you to painfully alter your appearance to be more liked. 

This is the world that women have known for centuries, and the patriarchal structures around beauty have now extended deep into the lives of men. These problems should have been addressed long ago. And they shouldn’t only now be addressed because it is affecting men and boys. But damn, this feels like a good time to act.

Social media has amplified unsafe diets. In gym culture, it is almost considered weird if you aren’t on some form of bulking and cutting regimen or taking supplements. Eating food with sauce is a sin. There is no place for a spoonful of ice cream. Moderation and balance are not words in the gymbro dictionary.

Bulking and cutting — which involve gaining a lot of weight and then losing it to have a more chiseled figure — have been shown to leave people more susceptible to cardiovascular issues and injuries. The constant weight fluctuation can also lead to more insulin resistance, meaning those who engage in this style of dieting may not be able to regulate their blood sugar and could be at risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Beyond the physical risks, this largely-celebrated diet has been linked to eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Men often aren’t satisfied with how they look, always wanting to gain more muscle even when they have a strong and healthy figure.

This is often seen in young adults, and I have to believe social media is a driving factor. There will always be somebody on Instagram with bigger pecs. Always somebody who can lift just that little bit more. Going down the path of bulking and cutting will never satisfy people, because it is predicated on always needing to look “better” in some way. It is a toxic cycle.

These trends hide behind the guise of being healthy. But they generate an unhealthy relationship with eating. Orthorexia is an eating disorder associated with an extreme fixation on the purity of your meals. While it sounds good in theory, in practice it leaves people with few food options. Individuals are unable to get the quantity of food they need to function. These male-dominated online trends are lighting the path to this way of thinking.

I want anybody reading this piece to walk away realizing that none of this is truly good for the body or the mind. It is not health backed by science. The end goal may be to eat clean and have a nice body, but the process of getting there is truly unhinged.

You can live a good life by regularly going to the gym and crafting a balanced diet to supplement your workouts while keeping your mental health intact. You can have a dessert from time to time. You don’t have to gain weight and then lose it to have the body you desire. Your face is beautiful as it is.

These trends force people to believe they aren’t doing enough. That they themselves aren’t valuable as humans. Society is better off when people aren’t obsessed with perfecting every aspect of their lives. Living is messy, but the manosphere is influencing a generation of boys to constantly chase an unreachable goal. It must stop.