Social Physique Anxiety in Men Essay Example

such as restricting calories or using steroids. These actions may lead to dysfunctional behavior like aggression or suicide (Mark, 1997). Furthermore, taking steroids for issues like "behavior disorder" can put one's health at risk and result in delinquent conduct and drug abuse. The emphasis on men's bodies has led to muscle dysmorphia, where individuals feel their physique is insufficiently muscular. Societal standards and expectations contribute to negative psychosocial effects of this condition.

Body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem are commonly associated with both SPA and muscle dysmorphia. Anorexia nervosa in women can exhibit behaviors similar to those seen in SPA, such as anxiousness in public places and hiding their bodies (Grieve, Jackson, Reece, Marklin, Delaney, 2008). While research on males is limited, there has been a belief that SPA primarily affects men rather than women.

A study conducted by Russell (2002) revealed that African American men with high levels of SPA had a higher likelihood of experiencing body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. The research aimed to explore the relationship between SPA, exercise motivations, muscle dysmorphia symptoms, and low self-esteem. Findings showed that individuals with higher SPA levels were more likely to work out for appearance-related reasons and reported more significant signs of muscle dysmorphia disorder. Moreover, males with elevated SPA levels had decreased self-esteem according to another study by Schwartz & Tylka (2008).

Adolescent males have a high prevalence of SPA due to their desire to improve physically during adolescence and present an idealized version of themselves. This aligns with self-presentation theory, which emphasizes projecting an idealized self-image for success in specific situations. According to contextual theory's matching hypothesis, negative self-perceptions can arise when an individual's traits do not

match the requirements of their surroundings (Walter, Lyle, Stanley & Julie, 2007). Even though SPA is commonly observed in evaluative settings like dance where improvement is crucial, its presence in subjective evaluation settings remains uncertain.

Studies have shown that SPA is common among cheerleaders and aerobic instructors, but figure skaters have been found to have higher rates of SPA compared to soccer players (Schwartz & Tylka, 2008). On the other hand, some researchers have found only moderate levels of SPA among synchronized skaters. These discrepancies may be due to a failure to consider biological factors, as SPA is more prevalent among people with small body size and those who strive for a positive body image (Henry, 2004).

Before delving into broader hypotheses regarding SPA, such as maladaptive assessment or statistical control for physical size (which is not typically practiced in SPA research), it is crucial to first address the magnitude of SPA above and below physical size. In SPA research, biological parameters like body weight and BMI are frequently considered, with BMI serving as a tool to adjust for variations in height. However, BMI has limitations when used as an indicator of body composition and physique due to changes in body proportions. Moreover, weight alone cannot be interpreted independently of height. It is worth noting that during adolescence, males may not be aware of growth that has occurred between the time of the study and their most recent measurements.

The concept of SPA encompasses the physical characteristics of individuals, which includes their physique - referring to the general build or structure of the entire body and not specific body parts. Evidence demonstrates a systematic evaluation of the construct

validity of the relationship between SPA and quantitative indicators of physique, as stated by Henry (2004). Physique indicators comprise various metrics such as BMI and shoulder-to-hip proportions, including ratios such as bicristal breadth to biacromial breadth and other observational and metric protocols.

The widespread approach in sports sciences for physique evaluation is the heath-Carter anthropometric protocol, which estimates somatotype. Somatotype involves three components - ectomorphy, mesomorphy and endomorphy - with varying contributions to the overall physique. This approach is distinct from the fundamental concept (Harrison, Katharine, & Roberto, 2000), which treats somatotype as a unified entity.
However, during growth, particularly in adolescence, individual components of somatotype undergo unique changes. For boys, mesomorphy changes significantly while for girls endomorphy undergoes prominent transformations.

Petrie et al. (2008) found that modifying the weight-for-height ratio affects the development of physique anxiety, causing psychological stress for those with muscle dysmorphia who may resort to extreme dieting or other weight management techniques to increase their muscle mass. Furthermore, individuals with muscle dysmorphia exhibit distinct binge eating patterns during different bodybuilding phases compared to those with eating disorders who prefer consuming high-calorie foods.

When diagnosing muscle dysmorphia, it is crucial to eliminate the possibility of body dysmorphic disorder, which focuses on specific body parts. It is also necessary to consider the type of distortion in one's self-image and rule out anxiety disorders like social phobia. Those with social phobia often worry about their appearance and may attempt to hide or fix perceived imperfections (Harrison, Katharine ; Roberto, 2000).

Individuals with social phobia are more concerned about their actions being humiliating rather than their appearance. Those suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and muscle dysmorphia often exhibit

obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior, which may go unnoticed by the individual. When identifying symptoms of muscle dysmorphia, personality disorders such as histrionic personality disorder (which places excessive importance on physical appearance) and narcissistic personality disorder (which desires admiration and approval from others regarding one's appearance) should be taken into consideration.

According to Thomas & Thomas (2004), social physique anxiety is characterized by an individual's apprehension about how others perceive their physical appearance, specifically regarding body composition, body fat, and muscle tone. This differs from body image concerns which relate to one's own perception of their body. Individuals with high levels of social physique anxiety tend to avoid situations that draw attention to their bodies, like acrobatics (Hart et al., 1989) and may resort to using anabolic steroids in order to improve their appearance.

According to Katherine (2004), worries about physical appearance are frequently found in both social physique anxiety and disordered eating. In a study, participants in an intense aerobic class reported higher levels of social physique anxiety when wearing clothing that accentuated their physiques. The study findings suggest that participants may have experienced an increase in social physique anxiety due to concerns about self-presentation during the acrobat class. Additionally, Robert and Daniel (2007) found that motives for exercise that emphasize self-presentation, such as those relating to appearance, are more likely to trigger social physique anxiety than those that do not.

According to a study, Social physique anxiety has a significant impact on negative thoughts and stress related to the effect of body image. Awareness comes before placing emphasis on one’s fitness and appearance, which affects fitness enhancing behaviors. Satisfaction with attractiveness is typically linked to Narcissism,

explaining why high levels of Narcissism result in decreased interest in changing one’s physical appearance. This takes into account the definition of Narcissism, putting emphasis on satisfaction with appearance. Individuals who struggle with managing their impressions may experience social anxiety.

The cause of social anxiety is the belief that one's body image is not valued. According to Robert and Daniel in 2007, body image concepts usually relate to self-esteem.