What is Body Dysmorphia?

For some athletes, body image issues can be caused because certain sports value specific weights and body types more than others. Some athletes will deal with puberty in different ways. And for other athletes there will be pressure to conform to external norms about how our body should appear. This can lead to body image issues and unhealthy behaviours around food and exercise.

Body dysmorphia can affect athletes regardless of our gender. However, “historically, in terms of gender, I think we have seen higher numbers of females with the experience of disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image concerns and thoughts,”*

For male athletes, the most common body disorder is called muscle dysmorphia. Muscle dysmorphia is often called “reverse anorexia” and it most commonly affects men who want to lose body fat, get bigger and gain weight, rather than losing weight. 

Unfortunately, this disorder can get overlooked because getting bigger and having more muscle and spending time in the weight room involves the same athletic behaviours that are common to routines and most coaches are pleased to see their athletes training and exercising with great intensity. As a result, muscle dysmorphia often goes unnoticed as a problem, because the behaviours are thought of as “normal” for athletes.