Self-esteem and body satisfaction in men: Men in pursuit of the ideal body

This study examined the relationship between self-esteem and physical appearance among college students. Participants were 81 male and 80 female undergraduates from a medium-sized private university in the middle-Atlantic area of the United States. This study showed that because there is an even split between men who want to gain versus lose weight, the relevance of body image concerns to men may have been obscured in previous research. Men were found to be concerned with body image, especially muscularity, and preferred the hypermesomorphic figure as their ideal shape. Moreover, the extent to which male students felt good about their bodies was strongly associated with their self-esteem. Furthermore, men's exercise patterns and eating habits seemed to help them to attain their body image ideal. Finally certain subtypes of men, those who were classified as traditionally masculine, seemed especially concerned with body image.