Body image and its impact in selected groups of men

This thesis examined the relationship between body image and Psychological Distress in three groups of men: bodybuilders, elite Australian Rules football players and a control group who did not participate in any elite level sports. The main objective was to examine the extent that body form and body function are related to Muscle Dysmorphia, Body Esteem and Psychological Distress in groups where physique is important for either body form or body function reasons. The results of a quantitative study showed that (a) having a distorted self-perception of being less muscular was associated with more negative body feelings; (b) body dissatisfaction was related to body perception distortion; and (c) the control group, who expressed less Muscle Dysmorphia than the footballers and bodybuilders, had generally negative body images, whereas the footballers and bodybuilders had both positive and negative aspects incorporated into their body images. Surprisingly, no significant relationships between the other measures of body image (body dissatisfaction, body perception distortion and Body Esteem) and Muscle Dysmorphia were found. However, a further qualitative study using thematic analysis suggested that men from each of the participant groups did in fact have some symptoms of Muscle Dysmorphia, and that there were psychological and behavioural consequences of this, but that a masculine culture within Australian Rules football and the psycho-protective effect of exercise appeared to have some prophylactic effect. Overall, these results suggest that, in groups of men who train for either body form or body function reasons, the relationship between perceived body image and how it is expressed in behavioural, emotional and cognitive terms is complex.