Eating disorders in women such as anorexia are usually recognized as being abnormal and harmful to their health, but less often acknowledged as a problem is a condition called muscle dysmorphia. Another term for muscle dysmorphia is “bigorexia.” These are the people, usually males who can never seem to get big enough from a muscle standpoint to satisfy their quest for muscular perfection. They’re the guys who stay at the gym for hours until the last deadlift is done in hopes of developing even more muscle mass. They take their workout seriously. In fact, it may take over their life.
What is Muscle Dysmorphia?
Muscle dysmorphia or bigorexia is a form of body image disorder where a person becomes fixated on the idea that they’re not muscular enough. They see themselves as being too small or too skinny regardless of how much muscle they actually have. It’s a condition that can affect either sex, but it’s more common in males since a muscular body is more valued in males than females.
To build more muscle, people with bigorexia often develop an obsession with working out and eating a high-protein diet. Like a person with an addiction to exercise, they become anxious if they have to miss a workout and usually schedule the rest of their life around their exercise sessions. Exercise becomes the central focus of their life, and they’ll work out even when sick or injured. Some turn to unhealthy practices like using anabolic steroids to gain more muscle.
Bigorexia is a Form of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
No matter how much muscle a person with muscle dysmorphia develops, it doesn’t change the negative self-image they have of themselves or their perception that they’re too small. They still see themselves as skinny and inadequate similar to an anorexic that looks in the mirror and sees a fat person despite the fact they’re frighteningly underweight.
Anorexia and muscle dysmorphia are both classified as body dysmorphic disorders, psychiatric conditions where a person develops an obsession with a perceived defect in their appearance. This preoccupation can take over their life causing damage to their relationships, loss of friends and even job loss. People with body dysmorphic disorders such as bigorexia have a higher rate of suicide as well.
Unlike anorexia, muscle dysmorphia isn’t as easily recognized since people who have it don’t look ill or emaciated. Quite the opposite. They typically look healthy and “in shape” with well-defined muscles thanks to their preoccupation with exercise and bodybuilding. But underneath their buff exterior is a deep sense of inadequacy and poor self-image that can trigger mood swings and even depression.
People who had stressful childhoods, dysfunctional families or who were bullied as children have a higher risk of muscle dysmorphia. It’s also more common in people with obsessive-compulsive or perfectionist personalities. Developing muscle may be a way for a person to exert some control over a stressful existence or as a way to cover up deeper seated psychological issues.
It’s a Tough Condition to Treat
It can be difficult to help a person with muscle dysmorphia or bigorexia since they seldom admit they have a problem. Treatment usually requires counseling to help them change their self-deprecating thoughts and the way they see themselves. You may see these people at health clubs every day and never know it, and chances are you see them there a lot.
References:
Medscape.com. “Psychiatric Manifestations of Body Dysmorphic Disorder”
Am J Psychiatry 157:1291-1296, August 2000.
