Muscle dysmorphia is a type of body dysmorphic disorder, a mental health condition. Muscle dysmorphia is closely associated with consistent gym goers and can lead to multiple other mental health issues.
Body dysmorphia overall is when a person spends large amounts of their time conflicted with how their body looks and is perceived by others. Many, if not all tend to focus on what they consider flaws in their own bodies. This mental health condition often leads to eating disorders due to the decrease confidence in body image. Muscle dysmorphia is a subtype of body dysmorphic that affects around one in ten people who go to the gym regularly.
Muscle dysmorphia is most common among men, but is increasing among women as more women began strength training and bodybuilding. This dysmorphia causes people to see themselves as "too small" or not having enough muscle mass on their body, even in those who are extremely muscular. To those who suffer from muscle dysmorphia, they feel as though their body image and muscle mass is insufficient to them.
"It's like having a red marker you critique yourself with in the mirror" - unnamed sufferer
This condition often leads sufferers to hyper focus on their workout regime, their diet, and body image. In most cases, their life outside of the gym is put on the backburner. relationships and work easily become second to the gym, causing many personal problems within their lives.
To others, these sufferer's may look extremely healthy and fit. Therefore this issue is very difficult to recognize in another person. Many people who suffer with muscle dysmorphia will tend to gravitate to others with the same condition. Signs of this condition can be feeling unable to miss a workout, working out while being injured, body checking regularly, spending multiple hours within the gym, repeated thoughts of how muscular/lean you are, neglecting social or work life for workouts, taking sport supplements (steroids', etc.), and building everything else in your life around the gym and diet.
On the male side:
Muscle dysmorphia is proof that males suffer from negative body image along with women. one study has even shown that dissatisfaction in ones body has almost tripled in the last 25 years. This can be correlated with the shift in the 'ideal' male body to a muscular, Greek god-like physique, which is shown throughout Hollywood, action figures and even reality TV.
Even men such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the most famous bodybuilders, struggle with body dysmorphia. He had stated that he never saw perfection in the mirror, he was always lacking something
Risks:
Muscle dysmorphia leads to prioritizing the gym over everything else along with overtraining. This overtraining can lead to dehydration, increased risk of injury, and weakened bones. IN women, there is usually a combination of an eating disorder, lack of bone health, and loss of periods. This phenomena is called the female athlete triad. These lasting effects will more likely occur in bodybuilders due to the bodybuilding competitions in which they are attempting to be at their absolute leanest. while bodybuilders tend to be at about 10 percent body fat before competition, the healthy recommended body fat percentage is above 12-14 percent.
There is also an increased risk of suicide among those who suffer from muscle dysmorphia, along with general body dysmorphic disorder. This is associated with decrease self-esteem and negative body image.
How to help the condition:
If you or someone you know fits the description of being preoccupied with muscle building along with body image, seek help through therapy and spread awareness. The relationships you or others have with exercise and food can be helped with the right treatment.
Paul, S. (2021, September 7). Muscle dysmorphia: The hidden illness affecting 1 in 10 gym goers. Natural Food Therapy. Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://naturalfoodtherapy.co.uk/muscle-dysmorphia-the-hidden-illness-affecting-1-in-10-gym-goers/