We Should Really Be Talking About Male Body Image

Curvy model Barbie Ferreira wants to talk about body image, and she’s not letting anybody be overlooked. “I have a ton of guy friends who talk to me about their bodies, too,” she told Teen Vogue. “But boys are often left out of the body positivity conversation.” Barbie brought together a group of five of her male friends to talk about body image.

The conversation revealed that lots of guys, male models included, struggle with body image. For women, there’s a community surrounding body positivity. Female models with diverse body types are increasingly featured in campaigns and magazines, but men are excluded, with hardly any representation, despite reporting a decline in body image. A 2014 study found that body image pressure is increasingly affecting young boys, with nearly 18 percent of boys highly concerned with their appearance, the Atlantic reported.

“I think our society’s view of masculinity helps perpetuate ideals of how men’s bodies should look, which contributes to the issues they may be experiencing,” Erin Hillard, project coordinator for the Body Image and Eating Disorder Lab at the University of Notre Dame, tells Yahoo Beauty. Even Aerie, a pioneer of unretouched images, got it wrong with male body image. The brand poked fun at the subject with their #AerieMan campaign for April Fools Day this year. The joke campaign featured men that didn’t fit the modelesque mold, and while Aerie insisted that the campaign was an opportunity to raise awareness about body positivity, men didn’t feel supported.

“I do think societal norms regarding masculinity help keep men silent about body image issues they may be struggling with,” says Hillard. “Our society tends to view body image problems as something that predominantly affects women, so men who speak out may be looked down upon.” The men in Barbie’s video are learning to accept their perceived flaws, but for many others, male body image issues are swept under the rug due to lack of representation and exclusion from the movement towards body inclusivity. “The body positivity community is a place for everyone,” says Hillard. “I definitely think men should feel comfortable opening up about the problems they may be experiencing.

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