Of men and muscles

More men worry about their body shape and appearance — potbellies, "man boobs" or going bald — than women do about how they look, according to research. More than four in five men (80.7 per cent) talk in ways that promote anxiety about their body image by referring to perceived flaws and imperfections, compared with 75 per cent of women. Similarly, 38 per cent of men would sacrifice at least a year of their life in exchange for a perfect body — again, a higher proportion than women. "These findings show men are concerned about body image, just like women. We knew that ‘body talk' affected women and young people and now we know that it affects men too," said Dr Phillippa Diedrichs, from the centre of appearance research at the University of the West of England. She conducted the study, of 394 British men, which was commissioned by Central YMCA and the Succeed Foundation, an eating disorders charity. The survey revealed that men have high levels of anxiety about their bodies. At least 80.7 per cent talked about their own or others' appearance in ways that draw attention to weight, lack of hair or slim frame; 30 per cent have heard someone refer to their potbelly; 19 per cent have overheard talk about their "man boobs" or "moobs". Around 23 per cent said concerns about their appearance had deterred them from going to the gym; 63 per cent thought their arms or chests were not muscular enough; 29 per cent thought about their appearance at least five times a day. Interestingly, 18 per cent of the men were on a high-protein diet to increase muscle mass and 16 per cent were on a calorie-controlled diet to slim down. Rosi Prescott, Central YMCA's chief executive, said: "Historically, conversation about your body has been perceived as something women do, but it is clear from this research that men are also guilty of commenting on one another's bodies and, in many cases, this is having a damaging effect." Men's high levels of body talk were symptomatic of a growing obsession with appearance, she added. Three in five men (58.6 per cent) said body talk affected them negatively and 12 per cent said they would trade a year of life if they could have their ideal body weight and shape. Around 4 per cent said they had made themselves sick to control their weight, while 3.4 per cent used laxatives for the same purpose. Almost a third (31.9 per cent) had "exercised compulsively" in pursuit of that goal, although that might have been partly due to 52 per cent of the respondents being gym members, when the average is 12 per cent. Respondents blamed the media for reinforcing unrealistic ideals of physical perfection. "Men want to be big and lean. It isn't a bad thing for people to want to look better, but it has become more like a competition, which has a bad effect on mental health", said one respondent. Alan White, a professor of men's health at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "There has been a rise in the number of men having cosmetic procedures such as a nose job or removal of breast tissue; that has gone from almost nothing to a significant industry over the past ten years. All this fuels the idea of the body beautiful and encourages a quick fix rather than appropriate diet and physical fitness levels."