View Full Version : Men unhappy with their bodies...
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 16:28
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/health/newsid_7611000/7611115.stm
I think if you're not fat then there is no reason to 'feel bad' - I think self-image obsession is a result of not dealing with something else.
Not that I don't suffer with self-image obsession.
G-MAN2004
12-09-2008, 16:33
The only thing I'm not happy about is the fact that it's so hard to put weight on. Then I'm met with comments from people saying I'm so lucky and all this. Meh, lol.
I have bits of my body i'd like to improve but I wouldn't say i'm getting to a stage of depression over it. Much like G-MAN, I need to put weight on, but not just in the form of a belly.
I think 9 stone is getting a bit tooooo light for my liking :/
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 16:43
I have bits of my body i'd like to improve but I wouldn't say i'm getting to a stage of depression over it. Much like G-MAN, I need to put weight on, but not just in the form of a belly.
I think 9 stone is getting a bit tooooo light for my liking :/
I used to climb with a guy who was 9 stone - he was belaying me and I came off the wall and lifted him off the ground - we were swinging like conkers.
I've been contemplating taking climbing up as it happens...
G-MAN2004
12-09-2008, 16:50
I think 9 stone is getting a bit tooooo light for my liking :/
I'm 10 and a half, at around 6'1, and have been for a long time now. I just find it too hard to gain weight, despite the fact I eat a lot. I've never been depressed over it though.
The only thing I'm not happy about is the fact that it's so hard to put weight on. Then I'm met with comments from people saying I'm so lucky and all this. Meh, lol.
I tend to find the same thing. I'm unhappy with my beanpole nature, the visible ribs and so on, but no matter how much I eat I seem to be stuck fast at 10 1/2st, and no matter how good or bad my diet is. There seems to be an amount of food I need to eat to maintain that weight, but any more just seems to make me more hyperactive. If I drop below that amount of food I rapidly shed weight.
I used to climb with a guy who was 9 stone - he was belaying me and I came off the wall and lifted him off the ground - we were swinging like conkers.
Hehe. My buddy has had to belay himself to the ground after I've launched him into the air many times. Not so much recently though, my game has improved. :cool:
As for the topic, I think people have a right to be obsessed with their image. To feel physically attractive is a need for most. For the rest, they either learn why it's not important, or convince themselves of the fact without really discovering why.
I'm 10 and a half, at around 6'1, and have been for a long time now. I just find it too hard to gain weight, despite the fact I eat a lot. I've never been depressed over it though.
Probably similar build to me then, i'm 9 but only 5'9".
I think if I started to eat better and worked at it, I could probably make a decent stab at bulking up to 11ish maybe, over a good period of time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/health/newsid_7611000/7611115.stm
I think if you're not fat then there is no reason to 'feel bad' - I think self-image obsession is a result of not dealing with something else.
Not that I don't suffer with self-image obsession.
What about fat people who don't feel bad. I know a few people who are overweight and don't give two hoots what other people think they look like.
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 17:01
What about fat people who don't feel bad. I know a few people who are overweight and don't give two hoots what other people think they look like.
Medical reasons. People should want to be healthy and fit, I think self-image body issues have a different root.
The only thing I'm not happy about is the fact that it's so hard to put weight on. Then I'm met with comments from people saying I'm so lucky and all this. Meh, lol.
same.:(
Although I agree with some of what you're saying CBS, your initial statement of "if you're not fat there is no reason you should feel bad" is a bit squeewy :)
I think you can be considered "fat" - or even "underweight" - very easily with all these BMI gumph. Rugby players are your key example here - despite being fit as a fiddle, half of them weigh a tonne and would probably be classified as obese with these silly scales fandangle gyms use today and thus unhealthy! Craaazyness. I hope no one listens to those types of measurements!
Though what you're saying about people having other issues causing them to have body image problems I agree on. I think so much of peoples problems stems from self confidence and knowing who you are - which nowadays seems to be quite hard to establish and be happy with. The media... I'll point a big pokey stick at them and say they're to blame for so much. Yes - many people thrive on it and should learn to step back and not take note of the pile of pants they're always issuing... but today it's almost impossible to do that. I hate hate HATE the media for what they do. To me, they should be skinned alive for the problems they cause so many people about body issues.
Men wise - I've said this to people before but look at James Bond. 30years ago he didn't have a tan, nor did he have rippling muscles and a perfectly waxed hunky chunky chest! Noo! He was you're bog standard everyday looking chap. Now... now we have all of the above. And it's like it in every film! Smoothly waxed hunks with abs that don't seem real! No wonder more men are having issues.
Equally with the above statement I think more men are willing to admit they have problems today as opposed to holding back and hiding it away.
Bah.
All very complex and equally sad at the same time :(
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 17:58
Though what you're saying about people having other issues causing them to have body image problems I agree on. I think so much of peoples problems stems from self confidence and knowing who you are - which nowadays seems to be quite hard to establish and be happy with. The media... I'll point a big pokey stick at them and say they're to blame for so much. Yes - many people thrive on it and should learn to step back and not take note of the pile of pants they're always issuing... but today it's almost impossible to do that. I hate hate HATE the media for what they do. To me, they should be skinned alive for the problems they cause so many people about body issues.
I'm not sure knowing who you are makes you happy, although I do think that some people think "I can't be confident because of this..." (whatever feature it is) without realising that the confidence is worth more than whatever feature about themselves they'd change.
The media give us what we want, point that finger in the other direction.
Re: Bond - why should it be any different for Bond when 'Bond girls' have always been hot?
I'm not sure knowing who you are makes you happy, although I do think that some people think "I can't be confident because of this..." (whatever feature it is) without realising that the confidence is worth more than whatever feature about themselves they'd change.
The media give us what we want, point that finger in the other direction.
It's always an interesting question that - whether the media gives us what we want or shapes us to believe it's what we want. I think it's some of both but mainly the latter.
Afterall, if it wasn't the media showing us pictures of new trends and fashion and whether looking pale is in or out etc... would half of the people in the world be so obsessed with looking/dressing in these ways?
:)
I'm not sure knowing who you are makes you happy, although I do think that some people think "I can't be confident because of this..." (whatever feature it is) without realising that the confidence is worth more than whatever feature about themselves they'd change.
The media give us what we want, point that finger in the other direction.
In regards to the last point i'm not too sure. I don't think the power of the media can be understated. They tell us to be different and they build it up through peer pressure. Your last point implies the media is there to serve us or am I reading that wrong ?
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 18:12
It's always an interesting question that - whether the media gives us what we want or shapes us to believe it's what we want. I think it's some of both but mainly the latter.
Afterall, if it wasn't the media showing us pictures of new trends and fashion and whether looking pale is in or out etc... would half of the people in the world be so obsessed with looking/dressing in these ways?
:)
Yes, becasue there is a constant drive to compete with each other. The media merely shows us what 'society' thinks - and we have the desire to find out what 'society' thinks or else we wouldn't be looking at the media
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 18:13
In regards to the last point i'm not too sure. I don't think the power of the media can be understated. They tell us to be different and they build it up through peer pressure. Your last point implies the media is there to serve us or am I reading that wrong ?
No one is forcing anyone to watch the media, the media is a servant to the desire of the people. If we didn't desire it, why would we spend money for it? If we didn't desire it, why would they not provide something else?
Heat magazine are scared ****less into printing what people want to read, they're not sitting behind their desks thinking "what shall we make them think today", all they're looking to do is give us what we want so we'll keep buying.
But then is it what we want or what we think we want after being conditioned by the media from a very young age?
Oh and for the record - I think Heat magazine is one of the biggest culprits to making people feel poop! Down with them!
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 18:19
But then is it what we want or what we think we're want and conditioned to want from a very young age?
I don't think we're conditioned to want anything. I can't think of any point someone has said to me that I should buy Heat magazine and feel bad because of it.
The only people that condition us are government, becasue they get paid regardless of what they do. The government are interested in conditioning us to be consumers, conditioning us to work.
Private companies merely give us what we want.
Oh and for the record - I think Heat magazine is one of the biggest culprits to making people feel poop! Down with them!
No, people are the biggest culprits of making themselves feel down - we pay Heat magazine for the ammo.
Hmmm... maybe I'm not conveying myself right.
Okay. Hypothetical:
A young girl called Molly has a birthday and is bought a present which is some girly mag (I don't know any... let's call it Bimbo!) So yeh. Molly gets Bimbo for her birthday (*waits for fay to pop in and say he want's a bimbo for his birthday* ;)) It has lots of pictures in it of pretty models who have been cropped and paintshopped up to the max. It also has make up in it and hunky boy band posters for her to stick on the wall and a fashion section of the newest hippest things around.
Do you think that Molly wouldn't feel at all influenced/strained/pushed to be like or wear stuff like what she sees in the magazine - which all of her friends have also got?
And if you're going to say "It's what Molly wants!!" how does she know she wants it? She's super dooper young! If she was born into some tribe in the jungle she wouldn't want it!
Another way to look at media influences is through tribes who have little - if any - contact with the media. From studies I have read I have the understanding that very few tribes have body issue problems similar to us...? One study... I will have to dig it out of my old psychology book... looked into TV and it's influence on children. They introduced TV to a small society of people who hadn't had such a thing previously and conducted a long term *argh*... something study (christ I'm dusty and have forgotten the type of study I mean... it'll come back to me). Anyhoo.. after 5 years the scientists discovered that the children had grown up to suit stereotypes more than how they had prior to having TV within their society. They also conformed to the fashion more so and there were increased cases of bullying.
I know studies have to be taken with a pinch of salt with problems arising about biased views/people being aware of being in a study and therefore conforming to what they think the scientists would want to see... but when reading it and looking at the statistics it spoke volumes.
No one is forcing anyone to watch the media, the media is a servant to the desire of the people. If we didn't desire it, why would we spend money for it? If we didn't desire it, why would they not provide something else?
Not sure I agree that the media is a servant to the desire of the people. I think that the media is a leader instead of just a reflection of what people want. When Marilyn Monroe was around and famous, women wanted to be bigger and more curvy like her. When Twiggy was a top model, everyone wanted to be stick thin like she was. Girls now want to have a J-Lo booty and Angelina's lips.
I think that the media has a whole lot to do with problems with self image. By taking something inachievable to most people and making that the ideal, it's setting a lot of people up for disappointment.
cleanbluesky
12-09-2008, 18:40
Tribes are more complicated because social pressures are communicated in different ways - they can't pick up a magazine, but some of them go to extreme length to appear attractive - sticking discs in their lips and stretching their necks.
As far as 'body image issues' are concerned, psychologists should be taken with a pinch of salt much of their push to classify disorders is so that they can secure more funding. I think that the only difference between a person in a tribe is that they get much more benefit from their social status that someone in the West because the West can be so faceless and impersonal due to the size of our society and the way that we can live in much, much larger and impersonal communities.
Have to pop out - food shopping requirements!
I agree with you to a certain extent but think there's a lot more to it :) As said - it's all very complex! May debate later - probably won't as food needs to be eaten and wine needs to be drunk! :D
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.