title: Muscle dysmorphia: could it be classified as an addiction to body image?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Muscle dysmorphia (MD) describes a condition characterised by a misconstrued body image in which individuals who interpret their body size as both small or weak even though they may look normal or highly muscular.MD has been conceptualized as a type of body dysmorphic disorder, an eating disorder, and obsessive–compulsive disorder symptomatology. METHOD AND AIM: Through a review of the most salient literature on MD, this paper proposes an alternative classification of MD--the ‘Addiction to Body Image’ (ABI) model--using Griffiths (2005)addiction components model as the framework in which to define MD as an addiction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is argued the addictive activity in MD is the maintaining of body image via a number of different activities such as bodybuilding, exercise,eating certain foods, taking specific drugs (e.g., anabolic steroids), shopping for certain foods, food supplements,and the use or purchase of physical exercise accessories). In the ABI model, the perception of the positive effects on the self-body image is accounted for as a critical aspect of the MD condition (rather than addiction to exercise or certain types of eating disorder).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on empirical evidence to date, it is proposed that MD could be re-classified as an addiction due to the individual continuing to engage in maintenance behaviours that may cause long-term harm.
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol School of Experimental Psychology Bristol UK.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: University of Ulster Bamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing Londonderry UK University of Ulster MRC All Ireland Trials Methodology Hub Londonderry UK.
authors.forename: Gillian W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Shorter
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Trent University International Gaming Research Unit, Division of Psychology Burton Street NG1 4BU Nottingham UK.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: behavioral addiction; body dysmorphic disorder; body image; eating disorder; muscle dysmorphia; obsessive-compulsive disorder