Following our feature that centred on the role of nutrition and body image in last month’s issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine, this month we continue our conversation on the topic of boys and body image, from a psychologist’s perspective.
Unlike traditional body image concerns, boys are more likely to report wanting to be bigger and look more masculine, particularly in the older teenage years, says educational and developmental psychologist from Maverick Child and Adolescent Psychology in Brisbane, Michael Duhig.
“Studies have linked body dissatisfaction with reduced self-esteem, which may lead to an increased risk of mental health issues at a crucial developmental time point,” he says.
He adds that this is an important conversation given that “unlike their female counterparts, body image concerns in males have received little attention”.
“National reports for both genders revealed that body image concerns have increased from 26.5% [of those surveyed] in 2015 to 31% in 2019,” says Mr Duhig.
“More recently, an Australian study found that around 17 per cent of boys [surveyed] aged 12 to 18 years were dissatisfied with their body and five per cent reported an overvaluation of weight and shape.”
Seeing the signs
Speaking about the reasons for an increasing focus on body image among boys and teens, Mr Duhig says a major factor is the “overlap with social media use”.
“Parents often equip their children with a mobile phone for the transition to high school, for safety and communicative reasons,” he says.
“However, a by-product of this is the opportunity to access social media.
“Unfortunately, social media use for boys is associated with reinforcing unrealistic body ideals … potentially leading to … appearance comparisons and body dissatisfaction.
“This pathway typically leads to increased muscle building behaviour and dietary restraints.”
Continuing the conversation around nutrition and exercising habits, Mr Duhig agrees that, while most of these habits may traditionally be classed as “healthy behaviour”, if they’re “taken to the extreme”, that’s typically a red flag that issues are starting to appear.
“While daily physical activity is recommended for this age group, a sudden increase in intensity and duration may be a red flag for image concerns,” he says.
“Similarly, changes in diet behaviour, whether it be limiting intake, trying a new diet regime (fasting, vegetarian, etc), or commencing the use of supplements (for example, protein shakes), may be a cause for concern.
“In all these instances, it’s crucial to identify a baseline and see if these recent changes differ significantly from said baseline.
“Typically, this is where parents and caregivers play a vital role.”
Prevention better than cure
Speaking about the importance of establishing a healthy body image from an early age, Mr Duhig says: “Regarding any condition that impacts one’s health, prevention is better than treatment. Hence why establishing a positive body image perception for all young people is valuable.”
He continues: “Without this foundation, young people are vulnerable to several long-term sequela, including anxiety, depression, obesity and eating disorders. Furthermore, engaging in limited dietary intake in the quest for an ideal body image detrimentally impacts every organ in the body, including the skin, teeth and the cardiovascular system.”
For more and to read the full feature as it appears in the July issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine, visit: rpassistants.com.au/magazines/retail-pharmacy-assistants-july-2021/
