United States: Most parents in present times have basic knowledge of mental illnesses connected to body image disorders including the widespread eating disorders anorexia.
A different body-related psychological condition called muscle dysmorphia, also known as “bigorexia,” seems to be growing among boys, according to expert assessment.
More about the news
According to Kara Becker, a certified eating disorder therapist and national director of eating disorder programs at Newport Healthcare, “Bigorexia is a psychological condition and type of body dysmorphic disorder which involves a distorted self-image that focuses specifically on muscle size and physical appearance,” HuffPost reported.
People suffering from bigorexia drive their obsession toward greater muscularity while continuing to worry about their insufficient musculature despite carrying the body mass of a bodybuilder.
As a clinical psychologist at Eating Recovery Center in Baltimore noted, “Individuals may have an inaccurate view of their bodies, often believing they are smaller or less muscular.”
“This belief and subsequent preoccupation can lead to unhealthy behaviors, including obsessive exercise, and may lead to changing one’s eating to be as lean as possible,” buzzfeed.com reported.
Scientific evidence indicates that the prevalence of muscle dysmorphia increases among males, although the disorder affects every gender.
What more has the study revealed?
A 2019 research study discovered that 22% of teenage boys practiced eating behaviors that aimed to increase their muscularity to gain body weight, along with frequent supplement use and dietary modifications among young male adults.
Moreover, “Eating disorders in boys are often under-recognized and under-diagnosed,” noted Jason Nagata, a pediatrician specializing in eating disorders in boys and men, who co-authored the study.
The researcher pointed to rising hospital admissions from eating disorders among male patients since the year 2002, according to the latest Canadian study.
“While there’s more awareness around eating disorders, muscle dysmorphia can be overlooked for several reasons ― one reason being that it can lead to behaviors often encouraged in the weight room,” Gooding stated.
“Lack of awareness of the disorder may lead to the disorder being missed in someone who is struggling, as this is one of the less well-known disorders. Those who struggle may hesitate to reach out for help due to shame, secrecy, or the normalization of the behaviors in the community,” he continued.