Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Michael Phelps Complex: Do Olympians Make Men Feel Worse About Their Bodies?

Interesting - another look at how men are suffering from various forms of body dysmorphic disorder. A big part of this, it seems to me, is self-esteem, but it gets complicated in a culture where literally 67% percent of the people are overweight or obese.

For clarity sake, an "oggie" is an old guy over 40, which would include me.
The Michael Phelps Complex: Do Olympians Make Men Feel Worse About Their Bodies?



OK OGGIES…DO THE PICTURES OF MICHAEL PHELPS, JASON LEZAK, AND THE MEN’S SWIM TEAM MAKE YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK?…THE SURVEY NUMBERS SAY YES…EVEN THOUGH THESE OLYMPIANS ARE YOUNG AND IN THEIR PRIME, THE VISUAL IMPACT IS THAT THAT IS HOW OUR EXPECTATIONS WILL BE SHAPED…EAT LESS AND EXERCISE SMART…READ THE POSTS IN THIS BLOG! HERE IS A PRESS RELEASE AND SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS FROM A MENS FITNESS BODY SURVEY:

“According to the results of the annual Men’s Fitness Magazine Body Survey, 70% of men - an all-time high - are now unhappy with their bodies. This figure exactly matches the 70% of women who feel unsatisfied with their figure.”

“To stay healthy we should be doing a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, but don’t forget that can include running for the bus, taking the stairs instead of the lift and having a kick-about in the park. There are also loads of exercises you can do at home - just remember the little and often mantra.”

LONDON, August 11 /PRNewswire/ – Men are the new Women

When it comes to being unhappy with body shape - it seems men are the new women.

According to the results of the annual Men’s Fitness Magazine Body Survey, 70% of men - an all-time high - are now unhappy with their bodies. This figure exactly matches the 70% of women who feel unsatisfied with their figure.

Another surprising stat reveals that one in three British men feel self-conscious about being naked in front of their girlfriends - which means turning the lights out for sex is no longer a female preserve.

Pete Muir, editor, Men’s Fitness magazine comments: “Traditionally it has been women who suffer from negative perceptions about their bodies but our survey shows that men are now joining them in the body-angst stakes.”

The report also reveals that a whopping 87% of all men would like to pile on more muscle, whilst 1 in 5 British men would consider having plastic surgery in a bid to alter their physique.

Pete Muir continues: “Over a third of men said that they can’t find enough time to work out properly, so it’s our job to show them that going under the knife isn’t necessary - it’s possible to fit workable fitness regimes into everyday life.

To stay healthy we should be doing a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, but don’t forget that can include running for the bus, taking the stairs instead of the lift and having a kick-about in the park. There are also loads of exercises you can do at home - just remember the little and often mantra.”

Nobody does it better

When it comes to male body idols, Daniel Craig is still top of the bods - with over a third of all recipients coveting 007’s build - whilst men and women agree that curvy Jessica Alba has the best female figure.

Full survey findings will appear in the September issue of Men’s Fitness Magazine.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This topic is very awkward since more US women are overweight than men. Also while Phelps has a great body for swimming, he sure doesn't have an attractive physique if you've seen him in person. He has the legs of a man who's 5'10 and the torso of a man who's 6'8 which is very awkward looking.