Body Image in Gay and Straight Men: A Qualitative Study

Authors: John F. Morgan and Jon Arcelus

Source: European Eating Disorders, 2009, Vol. 17, 435-443

• Background:In recent studies, eating disorders are more common with gay and bisexual men than heterosexual men. Sexual orientation may be a risk factor for eating disorders for gay and bisexual men. With body dissatisfaction, men are more concern with their muscle size and shape(desire to be more muscular), in contrast, women are dissatisfied with their weight (desire to be thin).
• Argument: Straight men are increasingly dissatisfy with their body image as much as women, gay and bisexual men. This study explores that relationship between body image, gender, and sexual orientation.
• Method: Interviews that contains in-depth questions about fifteen men participants' between the ages of 18-24: background, sexual orientation, body image ideal, cultural pressures, social pressures, exercising, dieting and eating habits,and influence of sexual orientation. Seven participants are gay and eight were straight.
• Results:
  --Body image: Most men described the ideal male body would be proportionate. Not too skinny, but not too muscular. Looking "toned" and healthy is most important aspect in the ideal look. Looking too skinny or slim was described as sick or unhealthy. Big muscle looks unnatural
  --External influences:
  ---There is a big difference on media influence on body image between gay and straight men. Gay men are feel the pressure from magazines to look a certain way. In contrast, most straight men believe that magazines and media influences on body image are concentrated for women. Most straight men stated that magazines and T.V. does not influence then on the way they look.
  ---Social influences are more prominent in the gay community because gay men felt as if they are competing with one another to look better. Sexual influences is also a factor.
  --Perception of body image: all the men did worry and value their appearance, either to try to impress women-for heterosexual men, or men-for gay men. Most men want to improve in their muscularity.
  --Mechanism for Modification:
  ---Most men value a healthy diet. To lose weight mean to restrict the calories intake and most men see dieting as an unhealthy process. Extreme dieting, in which leads to eating disorders, is more common among gay men than straight men.
  ---Exercise is the main activity that both straight and gay men perform to improve body image.
  ---Toiletries such as face creams are used among gay and straight men to improve their looks, but not necessary to be more attractive.
  --Sexual orientation: Both gay and straight men do feel the pressure to improve body image, but single gay men are more concern with their body image.
• Personal thoughts: Men, regardless of sexual orientation, are becoming more concern with their looks because of the increase in media exposure of the ideal male look. In most magazines and T.V. shows I have seen, the men that are considered attractive are the ones that are muscular. There is a pressure for men to look a certain way because that is what women, in respect of straight men, or men, in respect of gay men, desire in an attractive partner. In my life, all the men that I know are concern with their looks. Most are most concern about the lack of muscles because strength and power defines masculinity.