Six pack for sale! The cost? Your health.

Sensitive, emotional, insecure – these are not adjectives which would typically be used to describe men. However, recent research on male body image perception highlights the increased importance males place on their appearance, and the rise of eating disorders in males. One such eating disorder is that of Muscle Dysmorphia (MD); a disorder characterised by a pathological concern with building muscle, which interferes with physical health and socio-emotional functioning (Cafri et al, 2008).

The rise of the metrosexual male, increased advertising featuring males with six packs and the Adonis, V-shape of children’s action figures, has meant male body dissatisfaction is now on par with that of women (McCreary & Sasse, 2000). Within this context, understanding the causes of eating disorders that can be applied to both men and women is of growing importance. For example, a clear relationship between insecure attachment styles and disordered eating has been identified (Sharpe et al, 1998), due to its impact on a range of psychological functions pertinent to eating disorders, such as emotional regulation, interpersonal functioning and maintenance of self-esteem. However, it is unlikely that this is the only cause for such complex disorders and the rise of male eating disorders such as MD has meant modern causes also need to be considered. For example, I recently conducted a research study which found that the relationship between insecure attachment and a drive for muscularity in males is mediated by gender role endorsement; the set of attitudes and behaviours that societal forces deem as representative of the male or female gender.

The study found that males who had a negative working model of self (insecure resistant attachment) and engaged in muscularity oriented disordered eating portrayed high conformity to masculine norms and low conformity to feminine norms. This suggests that males who strive for muscularity tend to portray a strong need to be independent, are unable to talk about their feelings, and share a view that women should be subservient to men. In addition, the results suggest muscularity-oriented males appear emotionally strong and confident on the outside through a portrayal of masculine norms, but underneath this confident exterior lies insecurity in which they strive to always be and look the best.

So what does all this mean for the marketing world exactly? It means brands should take into account their customers’ feelings and emotions; that men are a lot more sensitive and insecure than initially thought; and it means that positive body image marketing should be much more important than displaying advertising of a figure that few people can naturally achieve. Incorporating these insights into SEO strategies with experts like Candy Digtal Marketing Agency can enhance brand visibility and resonance, aligning content with the emotional needs of consumers for more effective outreach and engagement. Supermarket checkouts and advertising billboards seem specifically designed to make us hate ourselves, with magazines and slogans completely focused on fixing our flaws. Marketing to men involves “bulking” and “building” and even weight loss is focused on getting “ripped abs”. For older adults it is easier to ignore such marketing but for the young adolescent who is looking to fit in, it is much harder to turn away.

Just as females have a constant desire to be a size zero, young men have a constant desire to build muscle. The unrealistic body shape advertised then encourages them to take protein shakes, stimulants or even anabolic steroids. Are companies making millions from such products? Yes. Is it morally correct to be doing so at the expense of their physical and mental health? That is for you to decide. One alternative however, is to stand out and be different from your competitors. Just as a possible preventative measure to MD is for a mother to maintain a secure attachment with her child so that they maintain a positive self-worth, a brand can market to males in the same way. A brand that recognises it is acceptable to look the way you do, that shows they understand what the realistic body shape looks like, and works hard to make every customer feel good about themselves is potentially encouraging customers to come back and experience that feel good factor again. Take Dove for example; their real beauty campaign aimed to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and encouraged them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves. There is now a strong argument for a similar campaign to be conducted around a young male audience and inspire them to embrace all aspects of their body no matter how muscular they are.

Eating disorders need tackling from all aspects; families, schools, clinicians, media and even brands; and by doing this you may just be improving the reputation and sales of your brand at the same time. So grab attention by challenging body image obsessions, depict attractiveness in a realistic light and evoke real emotion in your clients by showing you understand the difficulties of growing up in a culture where it is the norm for boys as young as twelve to be “pumping iron” in the gym.  Contrary to popular belief, body-image and self-esteem concerns are not solely the remit of girls. The emotional needs of young women have been discussed at length but what needs to be recognised is that emotions have no gender and that their male counterparts are struggling just as much.