You’ve heard for years about how women take drastic measures attempting to emulate the unrealistic and airbrushed portrayals of what a female body “should” look like according to magazine covers. Turns out, so do guys. A lot of guys, apparently.
Up to 45 percent of men are unhappy with the shape their body is in at one point in their lives, says Dr. Michele Kerulis the director of sports & health psychology at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. While we’re not sure how the good doctor got such a figure, it’s not hard to believe that a dissatisfying body image can lead to an unhealthy obsession with exercise. The name for this condition is muscle dysmorphia, aka bigorexia.
When someone has muscle dysmorphia they’re essentially on a never-ending quest to perfect their body by making it bigger and bulkier. No amount of exercise or weightlifting will do; improvements to their physique can and will be made at all costs.
Physically, the overtraining and reliance on supplements to complete the task can lead to injuries like stress fractures and muscles strains … which then only perpetuates the issue since those injuries can also inhibit exercise. Liver and kidney damage is another risk. Psychologically, this type of behavior can cause depression and irritability, and also push someone to Hulk up over trivial matters.
