The media's representation of the ideal male body: a cause for muscle dysmorphia?
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine the effects of media images on men's attitudes toward their body appearance. METHOD: A group of college men viewed advertisements showing muscular men, whereas a control group viewed neutral advertisements. Immediately thereafter, participants performed a computerized test of body image perception while unaware of the hypotheses being tested in the study. RESULTS: The students exposed to the muscular images showed a significantly greater discrepancy between their own perceived muscularity and the level of muscularity that they ideally wanted to have. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that media images, even in a brief presentation, can affect men's views of their bodies.
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The corresponding ideal body for men in Western society is characterized by both a high degree of upper body muscularity (the V-shaped torso) and a low degree of body fat.
“The corresponding ideal body for men in Western society is characterized by both a high degree of upper body muscularity (the V-shaped torso) and a low degree of body fat, with the latter enhancing the salience of the former (Maisey et al., 1999; Leit et al., 2002; Cafri et al., 2005; Ridgeway and Tylka, 2005; McCreary, 2007; Murray et al., 2017).”
From The degree to which the cultural ideal is internalized predicts judgments of male and female physical attractiveness (2022) · cites this paper as Leit et al., 2002
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“The corresponding ideal body for men in Western society is characterized by both a high degree of upper body muscularity (the V-shaped torso) and a low degree of body fat, with the latter enhancing the salience of the former (Maisey et al., 1999; Leit et al., 2002; Cafri et al., 2005; Ridgeway and Tylka, 2005; McCrear…”
Background3D visualisation of psychometric estimates for the ideal male body
Mohamed, S., Kramer, R. S. S., Thornborrow, T., Pollet, T. V., Tovée, M. J., & Cornelissen, P. L. (2021) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.05.003 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Leit, R. A., Gray, J. J., & Pope, H. G.
- Affiliations
- American University (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Leit, Richard A.
- ORCID
- Pope, Harrison G.
- Venue
- International Journal of Eating Disorders
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2002-03-14
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 334-338
- ISSN
- 0276-3478 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-108X
- OpenAlex
- W2054541050
- Cited by
- 409
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 18.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Locations
- International Journal of Eating Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Media, Gender, and Advertising
- Keywords
- muscle dysmorphia, media representation, body image perception, muscularity, men's body image, advertising exposure, male university students, body dissatisfaction
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Advertising, Body Image, Humans, Male, Mass Media, Men, Mid-Atlantic Region
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