‘Bigorexia’: How a Male Body-Image Disorder Can Get So Extreme

For those who believe body-image issues plague only women, a new study conducted at the University of Sydney dispels that notion and raises alarms for men. In the first large-scale study of both men and women concerning body-image-related disorders, Australian researchers found that men not only suffer from what’s been termed “bigorexia” but that it goes largely undiagnosed, and the adverse effects on mental health and quality of life appear to hit men just as seriously as it does women with body-dysmorphic issues.

While it may sound like the punchline for a lighthearted joke about gym rats and “roid” addicts, “bigorexia,” aka muscle dysmorphia, is a much larger (and very real) issue, and this study underlines the seriousness of it. Mental health issues — beyond the more well-recognized depression and anxiety disorders — continue to plague men who have a more difficult time seeking help, diagnosis, and treatment.

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Roberto Olivardia of Harvard Medical School, who was among the group of medical researchers who first coined the term “muscle dysmorphia” back in the 1990s, explains to Yahoo Beauty why men with body issues face serious challenges: “Most men who struggle with body image and eating disorders are getting little to no support from peers. … These issues are still seen as ‘women’s issues,’ which is insulting to both men and women. There is an inherent sexism in the notion that issues that primarily affect women are less serious and are often minimized. This extends even in the mental health community.”

Further complicating matters for men with “bigorexia,” there are other issues that can develop beyond the mental and quality-of-life distresses. The study details these issues, namely the extreme physical ramifications. “Many of them may not even realize they have a mental health condition, especially where others may be looking at them as models of health because they are fit and muscular,” says Olivardia.

If you’re concerned about bodybuilding friends or family, Olivardia suggests keeping an eye out for signs such as “an overemphasis on their body build, excessive mirror checking, asking others if they are big or muscular enough, avoidance of social situations, especially where there bodies may be more visible and certainly any eating disorder behaviors.”

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