title: The media's representation of the ideal male body: a cause for muscle dysmorphia?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Staten Island Mental Health Society, Staten Island, New York 10301, USA. rleit@erols.com
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Leit
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Harrison G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Pope
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001828:Body Image; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region