Men, Muscles, and Eating Disorders: an Overview of Traditional and Muscularity-Oriented Disordered Eating

Abstract

Purpose of Review There is growing recognition that eating disorder (ED) symptoms, particularly those of a muscularity-oriented nature, are more common in men than previously understood. The purpose of the current review is to describe contemporary directions and implications of research on traditional and muscularity-oriented ED symptoms among males. Recent Findings Evidence indicates that ED symptoms occur in a substantial minority of men. Importantly, recent research has focused on muscularity-oriented body image and disordered eating in males, demonstrating the prevalence, correlates, and consequences of maladaptive muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviors. A growing number of assessments are available to measure these constructs in males, and preliminary treatment considerations have begun to be addressed in the literature. Summary Research on male EDs and body image is increasingly focusing on muscularity-oriented manifestations. Continued empirical work will be critical to improve our understanding of the onset, maintenance, and treatment of muscularity-oriented disordered eating in males.

Using network analysis to identify central eating disorder symptoms among men

“…Striving to achieve a muscular and lean body ideal has been speculated to underlie many of men's ED symptoms (e.g., Anderson & Bulik, 2004;Lavender et al, 2017;Murray et al, 2017), thus raising concerns that the most frequently used ED assessments (e.g., EDE-Q) Striving to achieve a muscular and lean body ideal has been speculated to underlie many of men's ED symptoms (e.g., Anderson & Bulik, 2004;Lavender et al, 2017;Murray et al, 2017), thus raising concerns that the most frequently used ED assessments (e.g., EDE-Q)…”

“…Rather than pursuing a thin figure and a low weight, as is often observed among women, men often pursue a body ideal characterized by muscularity and leanness, especially in the upper body (Lavender, Brown, & Murray, 2017;McCreary & Sasse, 2000;Murray et al, 2017;Tylka, Bergeron, & Schwartz, 2005). Rather than pursuing a thin figure and a low weight, as is often observed among women, men often pursue a body ideal characterized by muscularity and leanness, especially in the upper body (Lavender, Brown, & Murray, 2017;McCreary & Sasse, 2000;Murray et al, 2017;Tylka, Bergeron, & Schwartz, 2005).…”

Negative psychological correlates of the pursuit of muscularity among women

“…The results of our study suggest that similar to thinness‐oriented concerns (e.g., Sharpe et al, ), a drive for muscularity may represent a unique and important pathway through which ED symptoms may manifest. The drive to enhance the visibility of muscle may precipitate unhealthy cognitions and behaviors where fat loss is a primary goal (Lavender et al, ). Indeed, our results are consistent with similar research demonstrating a positive relationship between the excessive pursuit toward muscularity and traditional ED symptoms among men (Murray et al, ), and a relationship between the desire to be more toned and a drive for thinness among women (Rodgers et al, ).…”

Eating disorder recovery in men: A pilot study

“…Compared with women with eating disorders, men have lower drive for thinness and shape and weight concern but higher drive for muscularity (Fernández‐Aranda et al, ; Murray et al, ; Núñez‐Navarro et al, ) and are less likely to engage in vomiting and more likely to engage in excessive exercise (Hay, Loukas, & Philpott, ; Strother, Lemberg, Stanford, & Turberville, ). Perhaps absence of excessive exercise and within normative levels of muscularity‐oriented body image concerns should be required for behavioral recovery and cognitive recovery, respectively (Lavender, Brown, & Murray, ). Tests of tailored operationalizations of recovery will be important to examine if they provide incremental validity over the operationalization tested in this pilot study.…”