Examining the Interplay Between Constructs of Masculinity and Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder

Research concerning Body Dysmorphia (BD), specifically Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) in men, is limited possibly due to a social norm that inhibits men from engaging in help-seeking behaviors. Men with MD symptoms have a higher likelihood of engaging in traditional masculine behaviors such as employing violence to solve problems, permissive attitudes towards multiple and frequent sexual partners, and emotional restriction and suppression, and heterosexual presentation (Blashill et al., 2020). Men who do not have healthy coping strategies may turn to exercise to appease intense emotions, conforming to masculine norms by avoiding emotional exploration (Dawson & Hammer, 2020). A common coping mechanism that aligns with masculine norms for emotion management is intense physical exercise. Since the preferred masculine physique is muscular, the implications of this coping mechanism can lead to body dissatisfaction, body dysmorphia, and muscular dysmorphic disorder (Blashill et al., 2020). BD is described as excessive preoccupation with a perceived defect in one’s general appearance that causes significant distress and or impairment while MD is concerned with muscular definition instead of general appearance (Blashill et al., 2020, Zheng et al., 2021). The influence of masculine norms increases male BD and MD by enforcing emotional processing problems, stoicism, and limiting help-seeking behaviors (Ganson et al., 2025, Zheng et al., 2021).