Man-orexia

Many people are still unaware of the major problem in our culture of anorexia in males, often referred to as man-orexia. Obviously, this issue is well known when dealing with women, but in our changing times, more and more men are beginning to be affected; ABC News has reported that an estimated 1 million American men suffer from this disease.

I personally find it incredibly interesting that men are feeling the urge to change their bodies so drastically. For years, women have claimed that their eating disorders began because of the skewed perceptions of beauty in our culture: the impossibly thin runway models, the air brushed and dolled up celebrities. So what has caused this rise in male eating disorders? Has the male standard of attractiveness changed?

I would argue that the answer is definitely yes. More and more male celebrities appear in interviews and on the red carpet as stick-thin, lean figures opposed to the overtly muscular men of the past. In fact, by today’s standards, many of the jocks and body builders of the world look rather absurd; they seem out of place in the sophisticated and slender world that we now inhabit. As people transition toward a more sleek, streamlined, and efficient world with our technology and our general view, the overall perceptions of the people in this world are changing, too. Is it now okay and often preferable for men to be very thin; oftentimes in the media these skinny men are portrayed to be much more intellectual and sensitive than the stereotype of the muscled meathead. As men are bombarded with as many images as women about being in shape, attractive, suave, and, most of all, thin, body image problems are becoming more of an issue for them.

It is a sad fact of our culture that we value such ridiculous beauty standards for people of both genders, but I like to think that this is changing. As laws about model’s weights begin to be passed and more and more celebrities are embracing healthy body shapes, it seems as if the perceptions of beauty are in a transitional period, and I truly believe that soon things will change for the better; a plus-size woman even just recently won the competition for America’s Next Top Model. But in the mean time, it is important for people to remember that not everyone needs to fit the impossible standards of beauty that so much of the world adheres to; it is so much more important to be healthy. So, at the risk of sounding like an after-school special, if you or anyone you know is suffering from a problem like anorexia, go get help. There’s no need to hurt or judge yourself, and there are plenty of people that will understand your troubles and can help!