Body Image Issues In Men

[Winchester]

[CrossCuT]

[AnneLine]

OK... about a half an hour ago I received a call from a friend.  she mentioned her grandson, who is barely in high school, had been told by his high school coach that he was 'putting on too much weight'.   They realized something was wrong when he wasn't eating.

 

The kid is normal sized.

 

His grand mother is a nurse... and she says if anything he is ALREADY too thin.

 

This tends to be a confirmation of what we've been saying in this thread... the 'I am not possessed of a perfect body' issue is starting to move from being a female problem to being an equal opportunity problem.

 

This makes me livid.  That ANY of our kids are being subjected to this.

 

Yeah, I realize that overweight is a problem... but so is this.   Grrrrrr!

[Lil Red]

Don't hate because you wish you had such a wide range of taste for music. I'd rather like most kinds than just one.

 

One Direction =/= music. 

[PhuturePriest]

One Direction =/= music.

Just because you don't like it it doesn't mean it's not music. I hate when people dictate what constitutes as music by their own personal taste.

[Winchester]

Just because you don't like it it doesn't mean it's not music. I hate when people dictate what constitutes as music by their own personal taste.

Objectively, one direction is not music. 

 

I like Static-X. It's music, but not particularly good music.

[PhuturePriest]

Objectively, one direction is not music. 

 

I like Static-X. It's music, but not particularly good music.

 

One Direction is a band, so no, One Direction is not music. However, they make and perform music. 

[Winchester]

One Direction is a band, so no, One Direction is not music. However, they make and perform music. 

Then why did you complain about lilred's post?

[Not The Philosopher]

All music after the development of Well Temperament is actually post-music.

[AnneLine]

Music aside, anyone have thoughts about this?

 

OK... about a half an hour ago I received a call from a friend.  she mentioned her grandson, who is barely in high school, had been told by his high school coach that he was 'putting on too much weight'.   They realized something was wrong when he wasn't eating.

 

The kid is normal sized.

 

His grand mother is a nurse... and she says if anything he is ALREADY too thin.

 

This tends to be a confirmation of what we've been saying in this thread... the 'I am not possessed of a perfect body' issue is starting to move from being a female problem to being an equal opportunity problem.

 

This makes me livid.  That ANY of our kids are being subjected to this.

 

Yeah, I realize that overweight is a problem... but so is this.   Grrrrrr!

 

[Not The Philosopher]

Music aside, anyone have thoughts about this?

 

It is lame, very lame. Especially since you'd think the coach should be in a better position to encourage real health/fitness as opposed to just being as skinny as a twig.

[Winchester]

Music aside, anyone have thoughts about this?

No. Stop talking about it.

[AnneLine]

:love: you, Winchester...

[beatitude]

OK... about a half an hour ago I received a call from a friend.  she mentioned her grandson, who is barely in high school, had been told by his high school coach that he was 'putting on too much weight'.   They realized something was wrong when he wasn't eating.

 

The kid is normal sized.

 

His grand mother is a nurse... and she says if anything he is ALREADY too thin.

 

This tends to be a confirmation of what we've been saying in this thread... the 'I am not possessed of a perfect body' issue is starting to move from being a female problem to being an equal opportunity problem.

 

This makes me livid.  That ANY of our kids are being subjected to this.

 

Yeah, I realize that overweight is a problem... but so is this.   Grrrrrr!

 

Eating disorders and body dysmorphia have always been 'equal opportunities' problems. This isn't new. Unfortunately the stereotype of EDs as the preserve of spoiled little girls who want to look like top models or Barbie mean than many men (not just kids - these problems can emerge in grown adults) will not come forward for help.

 

Another unhelpful stereotype is the idea that media causes bad body image, that girls want to be thin because they look at all the pretty celebrities and guys want to be muscular because they want to look like some sports hero. It doesn't work this way. A preoccupation with body image is usually the surface symptom, never the root. People with severe body image disturbances are more likely than average to have experienced abuse, for example. There are other contributing factors too.

 

When we move away from clinical problems with body image and eating, and into 'normal' territory, then women do face significantly more pressure to look a certain way, if only because their worth is predicated on attractiveness in the way that a man's is not. If we were to take a bunch of articles about female politicians and then another bunch about male politicians, one group of articles would contain a disproportionate number of references to bad hair days, preferred shoes, weight, and fashion faux pas. No prizes for guessing which one, and since when are shoes and hairstyles relevant to anyone's political accomplishments? Men might well feel insecure about their bodies, but how they look is far less likely to be scrutinised in this way. I am remembering the recent furore in the UK press over the fact that Kate Middleton had been photographed with a few strands of grey hair. Then there was a new spate of photos once she'd got it dyed again. I can't imagine the press devoting column inches to any male royal's grey hair, for the simple reason that no one connects a man's grey threads with his ability to go about his official duties. That's the difference.

[PhuturePriest]

Eating disorders and body dysmorphia have always been 'equal opportunities' problems. This isn't new. Unfortunately the stereotype of EDs as the preserve of spoiled little girls who want to look like top models or Barbie mean than many men (not just kids - these problems can emerge in grown adults) will not come forward for help.

 

Another unhelpful stereotype is the idea that media causes bad body image, that girls want to be thin because they look at all the pretty celebrities and guys want to be muscular because they want to look like some sports hero. It doesn't work this way. A preoccupation with body image is usually the surface symptom, never the root. People with severe body image disturbances are more likely than average to have experienced abuse, for example. There are other contributing factors too.

 

When we move away from clinical problems with body image and eating, and into 'normal' territory, then women do face significantly more pressure to look a certain way, if only because their worth is predicated on attractiveness in the way that a man's is not. If we were to take a bunch of articles about female politicians and then another bunch about male politicians, one group of articles would contain a disproportionate number of references to bad hair days, preferred shoes, weight, and fashion faux pas. No prizes for guessing which one, and since when are shoes and hairstyles relevant to anyone's political accomplishments? Men might well feel insecure about their bodies, but how they look is far less likely to be scrutinised in this way. I am remembering the recent furore in the UK press over the fact that Kate Middleton had been photographed with a few strands of grey hair. Then there was a new spate of photos once she'd got it dyed again. I can't imagine the press devoting column inches to any male royal's grey hair, for the simple reason that no one connects a man's grey threads with his ability to go about his official duties. That's the difference.

 

I agree with you, but I'm not sure if the media focuses on the grey hairs of Kate Middleton because it affects the way she does her job (I mean, really, does the Royal Family even have a job other than go to formal occasions?). I think it does it because it's like "Ooh! Kate Middleton is getting old and letting herself go!".