Compare and contrast how men and women typically perceive and want to change their bodies. How accurate are these characterizations on your campus?

Answer 1

?Men are as likely as women to engage in efforts to improve their bodies. But while women are most dissatisfied with their weight and their lower bodies, men want to be bigger and have more muscular upper bodies. According to recent studies, male college students overwhelmingly associate greater muscularity with feeling sexier, more confident, and more attractive to women. However, the quest for extremely low body fat and high levels of lean muscle mass can lead to a muscle dysmorphia, or reverse anorexia, that puts men at risk for depression, anxiety, and anabolic steroid abuse. In contrast, a specific type of stress called "social physique anxiety" occurs most often in women who feel they do not measure up to what they or others consider most desirable in terms of weight or appearance.