Boys and body image
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Boys are affected by the media’s depictions of unrealistic body types. Help them attain their own ideal – not someone else’s.
By Caroline Knorr
Did you know?
- Body image develops early in childhood.
- Body image is influenced by family and culture.
- Exposure to traditional media is a risk factor for developing body dissatisfaction.
Three facts about body image
- The proportion of undressed males in advertising has been rising steadily since the 1980s.
- 33–35% of boys aged six to eight indicate their ideal body is thinner than their current body.
- The measurements of the male action figures young boys play with exceed even those of the biggest bodybuilders.
What’s the issue?
The pursuit of a perfect body is no longer only a ‘girl’ thing. From padded Halloween superhero costumes that give five-year-olds six-pack abs to action movie stars with exaggerated physiques, representations of men in the media have become increasingly muscular and unrealistic. Boys are falling prey to the ima...
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