Rise in Muscle Dysmorphia among Youth Revealed by New Study

In general, bodybuilders are more likely to suffer from muscle dysmorphia. But according to a new study, many teenagers and young men believe that their bodies are never muscular enough.

Steroids Expected Results

It is no secret that social expectations can influence young people and their perceptions of themselves. To fit in with current norms, some adolescents and young adults engage in risky behaviors, such as intense weight training and steroid use, to become more muscular. This can lead to the development of a psychological disorder called “muscle dysmorphia.”

When getting a bigger and bigger body becomes an obsession

According to the Merck Manual, people suffering from muscle dysmorphia develop an obsession with the fact that their body is not lean and muscular enough: Patients may describe the parts of their body they don’t like as ugly, unattractive, deformed, hideous, or monstrous. Previous research on the condition has been conducted with specific groups, such as bodybuilders. Fewer cohorts have been conducted with different populations. That’s why researchers at the University of Toronto, Canada, recently conducted a study published in the journal Body Image.

Psychological and social distress in young men

In this study, they examined possible risk factors for dysmorphia in young adults. To do so, they recruited 2,256 Canadian adolescents. “We noticed that adolescents and young men had more muscular dysmorphic symptoms and behaviors. This finding continues to underscore that they are affected by the need to have a muscular body, strive to achieve it, and experience psychological and social distress as a consequence,” says Kyle T. Ganson, lead author of the study, in a statement.

The Dangerous Use of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids

According to the results, symptoms of muscle dysmorphia were more frequent in those who reported using anabolic and androgenic steroids. As a reminder, these drugs are very effective in increasing muscle mass, but they are dangerous to health.

“Overall, our research highlights the need to incorporate the symptoms of muscle dysmorphia into future body image and eating disorder campaigns, especially in light of the likely increase due to the pandemic,” says Kyle T. Ganson. The authors state that healthcare professionals should be aware of the high frequency of symptoms of this disorder.