title: Go big or go home: A thematic content analysis of pro-muscularity websites.
abstract: Existing content analyses of pro-eating disorder web content have focused on thinness-oriented eating disorder pathology. With the increasing prevalence of muscularity-oriented body image concerns, we conducted a systematic content analysis of 421 active pro-muscularity websites including static content websites, blogs, and online forums. Emergent coding methods were utilized (Cohen's kappa range=.78-.88), and eight distinct thematic categories were identified: rigid dietary practices (26.2%), rigid exercise rules (18.4%), the broader benefits of muscularity (16.1%), the encouragement of the drive for size (15.9%), the labeling of non-ideal body (11.4%), marginalizing other areas of life (6.1%), muscle enhancing substances (3.3%), and minimizing medical risk (2.6%). Pro-muscularity websites provide explicit material surrounding potentially non-healthful muscularity-oriented eating and exercise practices. Clinician awareness of the potentially non-healthful behaviors involved in the pursuit of muscularity may enhance the detection and treatment of male eating disorders, in particular.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. Electronic address: drstuartmurray@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Stuart B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hazery
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Tori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wooldridge
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mond
mesh_terms: D057218:Blogging; D001824:Body Constitution; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D004328:Drive; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Male eating disorders; Muscle dysmorphia; Muscularity; Muscularity-oriented eating