In the News
The sign of a good man: buff and lean
Toronto - Handsome, strong, sculpted men, young and not-so-young, stare down at us from billboards, movie screens and in magazines and television. They ask - no, demand - to know if we are doing our part to keep our bodies trim and attractive. This, they suggest, indicates that we are also healthy and successful.
Images promoting lean and toned - and the dieting and exercise to reach them - long aimed at women now target men as intensively. In response, increasing numbers of men are pumping and primping to get that buff and lean shape: A shape that some say is the icon of successful modern masculinity.
"This narrow popular image of physically powerful but lean men has come to symbolize men who are in control of themselves and their worlds" says Merryl Bear, director of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC).
Bigger and leaner bodies are desirable to many men because they are regarded as a sign of success - they represent power and popularity, says Brian Pronger, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, in his writings on males and masculinity. 'Health' is often a convenient hook on which to hang the desire for this symbolic body.
It is no surprise then that many more men are closeting themselves in gyms and pounding pavements in an attempt to attain the body that culture and technology say they should and can.
This attempt to achieve control over one's body is paradoxically leading to loss of control and achievement in social, professional and health goals for men.
"Weight and shape preoccupation, and eating disorders, are increasing among males" says Bear. "NEDIC is hearing from more men looking for support and treatment for their eating disorders, of which over-exercise is frequently a part."
Getting help for men with body image and disordered eating issues is easier than in the past, because more health professionals recognize the warning signs. Bear suggests that a visit to NEDIC's website www.nedic.ca is a good start in learning more about body image and self-esteem issues in general.