The media's representation of the ideal male body: a cause for muscle dysmorphia?
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to examine the effects of media images on men's attitudes toward their body appearance.


METHODS
A group of college men viewed advertisements showing muscular men, whereas a control group viewed neutral advertisements. Immediately thereafter, participants performed a computerized test of body image perception while unaware of the hypotheses being tested in the study.


RESULTS
The students exposed to the muscular images showed a significantly greater discrepancy between their own perceived muscularity and the level of muscularity that they ideally wanted to have.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that media images, even in a brief presentation, can affect men's views of their bodies.
Leit
Richard A
RA
Staten Island Mental Health Society, Staten Island, New York 10301, USA. rleit@erols.com
Gray
James J
JJ
Pope
Harrison G
HG
D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001828:Body Image; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region