Abstract
AbstractMuscle dysmorphia (MD) is a type of body dysmorphic disorder related to body image disturbances associated with musculature and leanness. This study surveyed the presence of MD and drive for muscularity (DFM) in both male and female personal trainers (n = 1039, Mage = 35.10, SD = .38) using a biopsychosocial foundation. Prevalence rates for MD and a DFM in the current sample were 23 and 28%, respectively. Kendall’s tau-b revealed that general appearance concerns, muscle concerns, and somatic features were positively related to both MD and a DFM. A DFM and MD were significantly, positively correlated with internalization of thin ideals, muscular/athletic ideals, family and peer pressures, but not media pressures. All psychopathologic variables (depression, anxiety, hostility, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive) were significantly and positively related to MD and DFM. Men and women who displayed high MD and DFM behaviors did so with little disparity, suggesting that these ...
Highlights
Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a proposed subtype of body dysmorphic disorder whereby individuals have a pathological preoccupation with muscularity and leanness resulting from a body image disturbance (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Pope, Gruber, Choi, Olivardia, & Phillips, 1997)
The Body Comparison Scale has not been used in concomitance with the MDI, but it is not surprising that muscle concerns and somatic features were the subscales most strongly correlated with both a drive for muscularity (DFM) and MD; both subscales dealt with aspects of physicality and musculature
The present study has contributed to the current MD, DFM, and body image literature by examining muscle dysmorphic symptoms and muscular drives in Personal trainers (PT) using a novel biopsychosocial framework
Summary
Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a proposed subtype of body dysmorphic disorder whereby individuals have a pathological preoccupation with muscularity and leanness resulting from a body image disturbance (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Pope, Gruber, Choi, Olivardia, & Phillips, 1997). Individuals who have MD tend to view themselves as being insufficiently muscular and may engage in behaviors of compulsive weightlifting, disordered eating habits, and the use of anabolic steroids as a means to address the perceived flaws in their physical build (Olivardia, 2007; Olivardia, Pope, & Hudson, 2000). Those with MD experience salient anxiety in situations where their physique is exposed to others, which can lead to careful precautions to circumvent such stressful scenarios (Grieve, Truba, & Bowersox, 2009). Muscle dysmorphia and a DFM are two separate constructs, but an intense DFM often results in the exhibition of muscle dysmorphic symptoms (Gray & Ginsberg, 2007; Grieve & Helmick, 2008), influences negative outcomes similar to MD (Robert, Munroe-Chandler, & Gammage, 2009), and may play a crucial role in predicting MD (McCreary & Saucier, 2009)
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