ArticleJournal of eating disorders2025
Male body image in focus: muscularity-oriented eating behaviours, muscle dysmorphia, and exercise addiction in gay and heterosexual men.
Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Differences in eating and body image disturbances and sociocultural stressors in sexual minoritized men by sexual self-labels.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Associations between sexual minority and intraminority stressors and thinness- and muscularity-oriented eating and body image disturbances in sexual minoritized men: Variable-centered, person-centered, and network analyses.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2026Article
- Differences in Eating and Body Image Disturbances and Sociocultural Stressors in Sexual Minoritized Men by Sexual Self-Labels Submit toResearch square · 2026Article
- From scroll to sale: online media engagement predicts adolescents' online supplement purchases in a nationally representative cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Investigation of endocrine and cerebral response and nutrition and physical performance parameters according to bigorexia nervosa levels: a cross-sectional study in sports sciences faculty students.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Exploring the Involvement of Personal and Emotional Factors and Social Media Body Image-Related Behaviours on Eating Disorder Symptoms and Body Image Concerns in Women and Men.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Self-objectification and commentary on physical appearance predict exercise dependence in young Chinese males: a study from a cognitive-behavioral perspective.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundBody image concerns among men-particularly muscularity-oriented eating behaviours, muscle dysmorphia, and exercise addiction-are increasingly recognized but remain understudied in relation to sexual orientation. Existing research suggests that gay men may be more vulnerable to these issues, yet the nature of their interrelationships remains unclear.
objectiveThis study examined the associations among muscularity-oriented eating behaviours, muscle dysmorphia, and exercise addiction in gay and heterosexual men and tested whether sexual orientation moderated these associations.
methodA sample of 168 physically active men (104 heterosexual, 64 gay) completed validated self-report questionnaires. Analyses included independent samples t-tests, multiple regression, and moderation using the PROCESS macro.
resultsGay men reported significantly higher levels of muscularity-oriented eating behaviours (p = .006, d = 0.44), muscle dysmorphia (p < .001, d = 0.66), and exercise addiction (p = .002, d = 0.50) compared to heterosexual men. Regression analyses showed that both muscularity-oriented eating behaviours and muscle dysmorphia were significantly associated with exercise addiction, jointly accounting for 42% of the variance. Moderation analyses further revealed that sexual orientation significantly moderated these associations, with stronger links observed among gay men for both muscularity-oriented eating behaviours and muscle dysmorphia in relation to exercise addiction.
conclusionsThese findings reveal important clinical implications for professionals working with male populations experiencing body image concerns. The stronger association between body image concerns and exercise behaviours in gay men highlights the need for targeted assessment strategies that consider sexual orientation as a meaningful factor in clinical presentations. Results support an integrated approach to screening and treatment that addresses these interconnected concerns simultaneously rather than as separate issues. Clinicians should incorporate muscularity-oriented assessment tools when working with men and develop interventions that specifically address the unique manifestations of body image distress in diverse male populations. Future research should explore underlying sociocultural mechanisms using longitudinal and mixed method approaches to further refine these clinical applications.
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