Eating Disorders in Men Linked to Pornography, New Research Says

Jakarta – Eating disorders in men are on the rise and research suggests that this is linked to pornography, according to new research in the journal Body Image.

The research highlights the link between "problematic" and "addictive" pornography viewing, and eating disorder symptoms among young men.

According to the study, authored by Israeli academics Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan and Zohar Spivak-Lavi, the more problematic a man's relationship with pornography, the more likely he is to be dissatisfied with his body. Finally, he is more prone to developing various eating disorders.

Dr Gewirtz-Meydan says that "Watching too much pornography to become a problem refers to a pattern of compulsive and unhealthy engagement with pornography that negatively impacts one's well-being, relationships or individual functioning."

Problematic porn addicts, according to certified sex therapists, can potentially trigger eating disorders by presenting unrealistic body ideals and by internalizing self-objectification.

About 6% of porn addicts report a problematic life, which also notes that these findings apply to heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual men.

Until today, many studies have explored the relationship between problematic pornography and eating disorders in women. However, this new study is one of the first of its kind, showing the many ways in which men are affected by the same issues.

It is important to note, that eating disorders and body dysmorphia among young men are on the rise, as is the number of young men watching porn.

In addition, Dr Meydan adds, "We also need to be aware of all the challenges and pressures that arise in young men that contribute to the development of body image issues and eating disorders."

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health disorder in which a person cannot stop thinking about flaws in their appearance.

In fact, these flaws seem small or invisible, not even a big concern to others. However, the sufferer will feel so embarrassed, anxious and worried that they avoid many social situations.

In other words: Men feel pressure to look very muscular, and this pressure starts to have a negative impact.

Carlos Chiclana, a man who has studied the relationship between excessive pornography consumption and body dysmorphia in great detail said that there is strong evidence to suggest that frequency of pornography exposure is related to negatively perceived body image and sexualized body image; in both heterosexual men and women.

Overall, he added: "Increased exposure to pornographic content is associated with higher levels of body dissatisfaction and self-confidence, as well as lower self-esteem."

Many of these isolated men spend a lot of time watching pornography (even the more extreme addicted viewers spend up to 11-12 hours each week consuming pornography).

According to research, people with eating disorders are more likely to isolate themselves than those without eating disorders, the same goes for those with body dysformia.

Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are common among those with body dysmorphia. Research also shows that those with eating disorders have a higher risk of suicide.