Gay men experience eatg disorrs and body dysmorphia more than any other populatn except for heterosexual women. Learn more about why this post.
Contents:
- GAY MEN AND BODY IMAGE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- BODY DYSMORPHIA CONTU TO BE A SER ISSUE AMONG GAY MEN
- SPEAKG OUT: MCLE DYSMORPHIA THE GAY COMMUNY
- GAY MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTN
- GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN'S HEALTH ISSU
GAY MEN AND BODY IMAGE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
* gay male body dysmorphia *
A notable and pervasive issue wh a more physil foc has started to plague the gay male muny. It’s no secret that many gay men tend to be obssed wh their bodi.
Gay men even tegorize each other based on physil appearance by g words like twk, otter or bear.
BODY DYSMORPHIA CONTU TO BE A SER ISSUE AMONG GAY MEN
Some gay men feel unattractive and stggle wh eatg disorrs, which tak s toll on mental and physil health. * gay male body dysmorphia *
And spe this diverse classifitn based on physil characteristics, there is an ial that most gay men try to achieve.
SPEAKG OUT: MCLE DYSMORPHIA THE GAY COMMUNY
There are many theori that attempt to expla gay men’s plited relatnship wh their bodi, but perhaps the most viable is that of Alan Downs. In his book, The Velvet Rage, he discs the role that shame-based trma plays how gay men nstct their sense of self.
Beg raised a i where you’re told you don’t measure up to the mascule ial sets most young gay boys up to feel they need to overpensate to hold onto other people’s affectns. Many gay men have attempted to hold onto those affectns through efforts to perfect their bodi. In the qut to atta acceptance, the gay man’s bt strategy is attag the mascule body ial.
By workg out tirelsly and reapg the sexual attentn that om such tense workouts, the gay man n temporarily assuage the root anxiety and fear he rri about beg rejected. The same perfectnistic, high achievg temperament that helps a gay man achieve weight loss and physique goals also driv eatg disorrs and BDD. Stggl abound for gay men that don’t f the mascule ial, cludg higher weight men and those that suffer om bge eatg disorr and/or pulsive overeatg.
GAY MEN AND BODY DISSATISFACTN
In his article “It Gets Better, Unls You’re Fat,” Buzzfeed wrer Louis Pezman talks openly about the pa of beg an overweight gay man who stggl to measure up to the gay physil ial:.
“The tth is, the gay muny isn’t terted embracg overweight people bee we’re a blemish on the image of perfectn.
GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN'S HEALTH ISSU
And much the same way progrsiv as a whole n get away wh ignorg anti-fat bigotry, gay men never bother examg the way they treat their overweight brothers. Gay men who buy to this drive for the perfect body to hi their securi are actually hurtg themselv and others who don’t measure up.
For many gay men, short-circus the abily to addrs the root problem and to procs emotn eply and thentilly. For a subset of others, specifilly those geilly predisposed to eatg disorrs, the tirels pursu of the ial gay physique may evolve to a life-disptg (and at tim life-threateng) eatg disorr.
For clicians workg wh gay patients, ’s important to nsir this meangful psychosexual ntext when explorg eatg, exercise and body image ncerns. They ternalize the feelgs and take out on their bodi, attemptg to wield ntrol through weight loss and/or buildg up mcle mass (hence the pervasivens of BDD the gay muny).