{"id":11027,"date":"2022-12-08T10:07:20","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T10:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nurs.essaybishops.com\/influences-of-media-and-stigmas-on-male-eating-disorders\/"},"modified":"2022-12-08T10:07:20","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T10:07:20","slug":"influences-of-media-and-stigmas-on-male-eating-disorders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/nursing\/influences-of-media-and-stigmas-on-male-eating-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"Influences of Media and Stigmas on Male Eating Disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Analyzing
\nHow Stigmas and Media Influence Disordered Eating in Males<\/h3>\n

Abstract<\/h3>\n

There are various biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to all conditions or disorders (Fitcher & Krenn, 2003) This literature review discusses biological, psychological, and social factors that influence disordered eating, specifically in males. Additionally, this review emphasizes the effect that social stigmas and media have on feelings of body dissatisfaction which, in turn, can be associated with symptoms of eating disorders. Unfortunately, today\u2019s society continuously exposes, both, men and women to messages that tell them their body is what defines them (Duggan & McCreary, 2004). Such messages can be conveyed through social factors like advertisements, stigmatized gender roles, parents, and media (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004).\u00a0 It has been found that exposure to these factors may lead to internalization of the media\u2019s pre-conceived notions of the \u201cperfect man\u201d, which can be linked to increased body dissatisfaction (Thompson and Stick, 2001). For the majority of males, muscle-oriented body dissatisfaction<\/a> led to a drive for muscularity (McCreary and Sasse, 2000). Conclusively, uncontrollable biological factors, sociocultural influences, and psychological turmoil are associated with body dissatisfaction and symptomatic disordered-eating in males.<\/p>\n

Analyzing
\nHow Stigmas and Media Influence Disordered Eating in Males<\/h3>\n

Despite the increased prevalence of eating disorders among women, research has shown that disordered eating behaviors are on the rise in males (Furnham, Badmin, & Sneade, 2002). This literature review divides variables that influence disorders in males<\/a> into three groups: biological, psychological, and social factors (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). The biopsychosocial model, explains health and illness from a biological, psychological, and social perspective (Suls & Rothman, 2004). Furthermore, this model perceives that it is not just one system involved in the experience and outcomes of an individual\u2019s health or illness, but all three systems, interactively working. (Suls &Rothman, 2004). The effect of social stigmas and media on an individual\u2019s perceived level of body dissatisfaction demonstrates the impact of social influences on psychological functioning (Harrison & Cantor, 1997). Likewise, uncontrollable biological factors such as BMI or pubertal timing, may affect levels of body dissatisfaction (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). <\/p>\n

Unfortunately,
\ntoday\u2019s society continuously exposes both men and women to messages that tell
\nthem their body is what defines them (Duggan & McCreary, 2004). Messages,
\nsuch as these, can be conveyed through parents, stigmatized gender roles, and
\nmedia.\u00a0 It has been found that some
\nindividuals may begin to internalize, or truly believe society\u2019s pre-conceived
\nnotions of attractiveness, and begin engaging in eating disorder symptomatology
\nto try to reach these, somewhat unattainable, goals (Thompson and Stice, 2001).
\n\u00a0So how do these biological,
\npsychological, and social factors specifically influence disordered eating in
\nmales? <\/p>\n

Biological Factors of Disordered Eating in Males<\/h3>\n

Physiological factors consist of the individual\u2019s genetic makeup, a component that one does not necessarily have control over (Suls & Rothman, 2004). Research has shown that two of the most significant biological factors linked to eating disorders among males are body mass index (BMI) and pubertal timing (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). Adolescent males who were overweight, with a higher BMI, reported increased levels of body dissatisfaction and societal pressures to decrease fat and increase muscle mass (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). An individual with a higher BMI may experience teasing among peers which could affect the social aspect of his life. Social isolation can lead to feelings of negative affect (depression and anxiety), dieting, and an increased likelihood of engaging in eating disorder behaviors (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). <\/p>\n

Compared to women, males hit puberty approximately two years later (Fichter & Kreen, 2003). Pubertal timing, is a biological risk factor of eating disorders in males because depression, social isolation, and body dissatisfaction may increase depending on when puberty is experienced (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). Males who were late to mature experienced increased levels of body dissatisfaction and were more likely to turn to be exercise dependent than those who experienced late maturation (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). Late maturation also increased symptoms of depression, parental conflict, and were perceived as less popular among their peers (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004). It is shown that both of these biological factors negatively affected the individual\u2019s psychological and social aspects of their life, increasing the likelihood of disordered eating. <\/p>\n

Social Factors of Disordered Eating in Males<\/h3>\n

Messages
\nconcerning society\u2019s ideal body are being disseminated to adolescents by their
\nparents. Research pertaining to parents\u2019 role in
\nbody image disturbances among girls is known, but what about the role of
\nparents in the development of the body image among boys? McCabe and
\nRicciardelli (2001) conducted research which exhibited mothers
\nwere perceived to have a greater influence for attitudes about body image on
\ntheir sons\u2019. Furthermore, it was seen that through positive comments, mothers
\nwere more influential on their son\u2019s body image in regards to accepting dieting
\nas a means to lose weight (Wertheim, Martin,
\nPrior, Sanson, and Smart, 2002).. On the
\nother hand, through criticism, fathers were more accepting of exercise as a
\nstrategy for weight loss (McCabe and Ricciardelli., 2001)<\/p>\n

Studies
\nsuggest that media trends may be linked to the development of eating disorders
\nin media consumers. In today\u2019s Western society male\u2019s physical insecurities are
\ntargeted by emphasizing the need for special diets, enhancing supplements, or
\nfitness programs. Regardless of the product being sold, the message that men
\ncontinuously need to improve themselves is being advertised in magazines, such
\nas Men\u2019s Health. (Duggan and McCreary, 2004). It is common that images in the
\nmedia contribute to body dissatisfaction in women but, Pope et al. (2000) has
\nbrought a new perspective to the table concerning males. Research suggests that
\nmen may have it worse than women in terms of self-ideal discrepancy (Duggan and
\nMcCreary, 2004). Duggan and McCreary (2014) believe that after decades of
\nadvertisements regarding appearance, women have learned to ignore or face the
\nmedia (Duggan and McCreary, 2004). However, men are perceived to be conditioned
\nto socially abstain from discussing such issues and find it uncomfortable to
\nexpress their physical insecurities (Duggan and McCreary, 2004). This finding
\nis an implication that men are more susceptible to medial influences than women
\nin terms of body dissatisfaction and as a result, they tend to buy advertised
\nproducts to enhance their physical appearance (Pope et al, 2000). <\/p>\n

Stigmas
\nassociated with gender roles are a major contributor to body image disturbances
\nin males. The masculinity hypothesis proposes that men are at risk for
\nmuscularity- oriented body dissatisfaction and disordered eating due to gender
\nroles including dominance, confidence, sexual success, and physical and
\nemotional self-control (Griffiths et al., 2014). Results from this study showed
\nthat greater muscle dissatisfaction and muscularity-oriented disordered eating,
\nbut not body fat dissatisfaction or thinness-oriented disordered eating, was
\nassociated with increased conformity to masculine norms. A possible explanation
\nfor this is that some males feel as if they lack these masculine qualities or
\nare more reserved, therefore they feel as if a larger, more muscular body could
\ncompensate for those feelings leading to body dissatisfaction and disordered
\neating. (Griffiths et al., 2014) So how social factors and messages from the
\nmedia impact interact with psychological functioning of an individual? <\/p>\n

Psychological Factors of Disordered Eating in Males<\/h3>\n

As seen in the previous sections, biological and social factors
\nare linked to negative affectivity, body image internalization, and body
\ndissatisfaction. Body image is how one perceives and
\nevaluates their appearance and physical capability (Taylor, 2015). Research has
\nshown that different associations of body image are different in men than
\nwomen. Males are more likely to associate attractiveness with increased, lean,
\nmuscle definition, leading them to a drive for muscularity (McCreary and Sasse,
\n2000). On the other hand, females with body dissatisfaction typically associate
\nattractiveness with being thin. (Duggan and McCreary, 2004). <\/p>\n

Media trends may be linked to internalization which, in turn,
\ncan lead to the development of eating disorders (Harrison and Cantor, 1997). Individuals
\ninternalize the ideal body image that the media portrays due to stigmatized
\ngender-roles. This concept, body image internalization, refers to the degree to
\nwhich an individual really believes society\u2019s definition of attractiveness and
\nengages in behaviors, such as disordered eating, to try to reach these somewhat
\nunattainable ideas. Therefore, it is the dissatisfaction of the body that
\ntheoretically promotes dieting and negative affect, which can increase the risk
\nfor onset of eating disordered-symptoms. (Thompson and Stice, 2001).<\/p>\n

Eating Disorders in Males<\/h3>\n

There are
\nmultiple types of eating disorders, however, the most common are anorexia
\nnervosa, obsessively dieting and\/or exercising until one reaches a body weight
\nextremely under optimum level, and bulimia, which involves alternating cycles
\nof binging and purging using techniques such as vomiting, laxatives, extreme
\ndieting, and drug or alcohol abuse (Taylor, 2015). \u00a0Research has shown that there are
\nsubstantially higher percentages of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa
\nand bulimia found in females (McLean, Paxton, and Wertheim, 2016). This may be
\ndue to the fact that females are more likely to
\nadopt strategies to lose weight (i.e. anorexia and bulimia), whereas males were
\nmore likely to adopt strategies to increase weight and muscle tone. (McCabe and
\nRicciardelli, 2001). <\/p>\n

Men with eating disorders are a topic of interest that
\ncontinues to grow in the public and scientific world. Disordered eating has been
\nunderestimated in males most likely due to conformity of the masculinity
\nhypothesis. Males tend not to engage in dieting behaviors because those actions
\nusually take them further away from their ideal, muscular body, but binge
\neating, excessive exercise, and steroid use are more common (McCabe and
\nRicciardelli, 2001). Contrary to females, the most common eating disorder
\ndiagnosis for males, accounting for 90% of all cases, is muscle dysmorphia. As
\nmentioned before, a very muscular body is the ideal body type for males.
\nTherefore, researchers have proposed that muscularity-oriented eating attitudes
\nand behavior be classified an eating disorder, rather than a subtype of body
\ndysmorphia (Griffiths et al, 2014). Not only do disordered eating and exercise
\npatterns lead to significant health problems such as low levels of essential
\nminerals and electrolytes, and a higher risk of developing osteoporosis or
\nosteopenia. Likewise, eating disorders may have psychological outcomes such as
\ndepression, low-self esteem, and anxiety disorders (McCabe and Ricciardelli,
\n2001). These, in turn can lead to social isolation, and relationship tensions
\n(Taylor, 2015).\u00a0 \u00a0within the males such as depression, low-self
\nesteem, and anxiety disorders <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

Body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders are a significant physical and mental health problem in Western countries. Males, although it is less common, develop eating disorders due to the fact that they feel pressured to conform to their gender roles of dominance, confidence, sexual success, and physical and emotional self-control (Griffiths et al, 2004). In contrast to females, men perceived leanness and muscularity to being healthy and fit, whereas being fat was related to weakness of will and lack of control. Therefore, men associated attractiveness with increased, lean, muscle definition. This can be tied back to the biopsychosocial model. Recent studies have shown that eating disorders in males are linked to biological, psychological, and social factors. Biological factors such as BMI and pubertal timing, have a significant influence on eating disorders. These uncontrollable variables can lead to increased levels of body dissatisfaction and social isolation, psychological problems due to stigmatized gender roles (i.e. masculinity hypothesis) and the media. \u00a0All three components of the biopsychosocial model accurately show how social stigmas and the media affect disordered eating in males. (McCabe and Ricciardelli, 2001). <\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n

Cusumano, D. L., & Thompson, J. K. (2001). Media influence
\nand body image in 8\u201311\u2010year\u2010old boys and girls: A
\npreliminary report on the multidimensional media influence scale. International
\nJournal of Eating Disorders<\/em>, 29<\/em>(1), 37-44.<\/p>\n

Duggan, S. J., & McCreary, D. R. (2004). Body image, eating
\ndisorders, and the drive for muscularity in gay and heterosexual men: The
\ninfluence of media images. Journal of homosexuality<\/em>, 47<\/em>(3-4),
\n45-58.<\/p>\n

Fichter, M., & Krenn, H. (2003). Eating disorders in males. Handbook
\nof Eating Disorders, 2nd ed. Edited by Treasure J, Schmidt U, van Furth E. West
\nSussex, UK, Wiley<\/em>, 369-384.<\/p>\n

Furnham, A., Badmin, N., & Sneade, I. (2002). Body image
\ndissatisfaction: Gender differences in eating attitudes, self-esteem, and
\nreasons for exercise. The Journal of psychology<\/em>, 136<\/em>(6), 581-596.<\/p>\n

Griffiths, S., Murray, S. B., & Touyz, S. (2015). Extending
\nthe masculinity hypothesis: An investigation of gender role conformity, body
\ndissatisfaction, and disordered eating in young heterosexual men. Psychology
\nof Men & Masculinity<\/em>, 16<\/em>(1), 108.<\/p>\n

Grogan, S., & Richards, H. (2002). Body image: Focus groups
\nwith boys and men. Men and masculinities<\/em>, 4<\/em>(3), 219-232.<\/p>\n

Harrison, K., & Cantor, J. (1997). The relationship between
\nmedia consumption and eating disorders. Journal of communication<\/em>, 47<\/em>(1),
\n40-67.<\/p>\n

McCabe, M. P., & Ricciardelli, L. A. (2001). Parent, peer,
\nand media influences on body image and strategies to both increase and decrease
\nbody size among adolescent boys and girls. Adolescence<\/em>, 36<\/em>(142),
\n225.<\/p>\n

McLean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., & Wertheim, E. H. (2016). The
\nrole of media literacy in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: A
\nsystematic review. Body Image<\/em>, 19<\/em>, 9-23.<\/p>\n

Ricciardelli, L. A., & McCabe, M. P. (2004). A
\nbiopsychosocial model of disordered eating and the pursuit of muscularity in
\nadolescent boys. Psychological bulletin<\/em>, 130<\/em>(2), 179.<\/p>\n

Wertheim,
\nE. H., Martin, G., Prior, M., Sanson, A., & Smart, D. (2002). <\/p>\n

Parent
\ninfluences in the transmission of eating and weight related values and
\nbehaviors. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Pre- vention, 10, <\/em>321\u2013334.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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