Media And Body Satisfaction

The purpose of this research is to give importance and awareness to male body dissatisfaction. Plenty of research has explored the effects that unrealistic portrayal of body-images has on females, but not many have focused on the effects that media has on male body-esteem. Media, however, affects male body-esteem differently than in females. In most recent years, males have been bombarded with media portrayal of the ideal male body-image. In contrast to females, men are concerned with being stronger and bigger in body size. They are introduced and immersed into a culture of muscularity. This research aims to explore the detrimental effects media has on males’ body-esteem and how cognitive-behavioral therapy can improve male body satisfaction. It has been shown that exposure to the ideal male body-image decreases male body satisfaction. It has also been shown that intervening and informing individuals about adjustments made to images and giving them facts about what the actual body looks like, will increase their level of body satisfaction. It is hypothesized that when males are exposed to muscular figures portrayed in the media, their body esteem will decrease but a combination of psychoeducation and self-monitoring intervention will help reverse the negative effects that media has on male body-esteem.

Background and Significance

Research has shown that the exposure of unattainable body idealism is detrimental to all people, especially women (Cash & Henry, 1995). The effects of media on body-image cannot only have physical effects but also psychological consequences (Cash & Pruzinsky, 2002), such as social anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. As a response, research has focused on treatment and intervention of low body dissat...

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