11/10/2022
Day 9 of
Let’s talk about in men.
Pop Quiz:
Who is more likely to obsess about their physical appearance to the point where it becomes a disorder – Men or Women?
The answer is: it’s about the same.
Men and women suffer similar reported prevalence of an unhealthy preoccupation with their bodies.
What is alarming, though, is that the RATE of reported male body dysmorphia, characterized by an unhealthy view of one’s own personal appearance, has TRIPLED in men over the last generation.
A 300% rise in 25 years!
While this may be surprising to you, it isn’t at all unexpected to me.
Minor as it may be, I have spent much of my life suffering from some form of this condition.
Obviously there are degrees to , ranging from mild to severe.
To those who suffer from extreme forms of this illness, many will require admission to hospital, become housebound, and attempt su***de.
So how do we help those guys who suffer the extreme anxiety related to this condition, and not trivialize the symptoms presented?
This is a complex, multi-variate problem which requires a lot of analysis.
If we generalize for a moment, one could argue that it would be detrimental to not at least be somewhat thoughtful about maintaining a healthy and vigorous lifestyle.
Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about how they present themselves?
It’s usually not a pretty sight.
I always tell my boys - Smell good, eat good, move good, look good, feel good!
We must also acknowledge that while we can change some things about ourselves that we don’t like - we also must learn to accept that there are some cards which we have been dealt that can’t be folded.
So shake what your Momma gave you.
Be confident in yourself.
and are important.
But excessive dieting and extreme exercising can be harmful.
There is a delicate balance which we all must ultimately maintain.
But change is possible.
We can and should always seek to improve ourselves.
And I don’t think there’s anything insalubrious about that.
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