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Men often struggle with body image issues, and according to experts, this is especially true in early adulthood. one 2021 BBC The report shows that 48 percent of men aged 16-40 reported that poor body image is affecting their mental health.
speaking on well enough podcastBody Confidence Advocate and Author confidence ritualJules Von Hep revealed how her struggle with body dysmorphia affected every aspect of her life and how it inspired her to speak publicly about her experiences to help others.
“My body dysmorphia started in my teens and it really shaped everything about me,” she told podcast host Emily Lavinia.
“It shaped the lessons I wanted to go to, the parties I wanted to go to, the people I was spending it with. It held me back, it shattered my confidence and what I saw in the mirror, I see now, wasn’t reality. It felt like someone else was looking back at me and I placed so much blame on the shape of my body, the texture of my skin, how I thought I was going through this life.
“After that I had self-harm, suicidal thoughts, moments in my life, and then eating disorders throughout my teenage years, it affected the people I dated, the situations I was in, the jobs I wanted to go into or not do.
“At the age of 32 – I’m 39 now – I had that moment when I was launching my own beauty brand that was all about body confidence. […] I was a spray tanner for 20 years and after dealing with so much nakedness I realized that the real glow comes from within. I decided to publicly accept and love who I am and my life has changed since then.”
Von Hep’s personal experiences in her teens and twenties inspired her to create a toolkit for others to use in times of crisis. his book, confidence ritualProvides strategies for self-acceptance that anyone can use.
Dr. Brendan J. Dunlop, a psychologist who joined Von Hep on the podcast, explains that the problems Von Hep has experienced are not uncommon and affect a large portion of the UK population. Despite the body positivity movement starting online, he pointed out that often, such movements do not cater to men and young gay men in particular are worst affected by body image issues.
“We know that the role of social media, peer influence, even elements of other parts of the media and generational narratives can all impact body confidence, body image and self-esteem. There are a number of related challenges that can arise from this that aren’t always visible. Things like self-harmful behaviours, eating difficulties and relationship problems and challenges. This is unfortunately incredibly common and it’s something we don’t talk about enough.”
Von Hep agreed that social media plays a role in maintaining rigid beauty standards and that body dysmorphia in men is unlikely to change until brands start using a more diverse range of models.
He said: “You go to any retailer and shop for men’s underwear and every model has the same body. I’ll tell you this for free, honey, my body doesn’t look like that. And I don’t think theirs will either. I’ve done a lot of campaigns for men’s swimwear as a makeup artist. Those guys drank a bottle of red wine the night before, dehydrated themselves and that’s how their muscles appeared. And someone went in and It was I who gave bronze and shape to everything, I used to prepare their outlines.
“Every male model looks the same. His resistance to swimming varies.” […] This global pattern of one body, one size, one ideal is everywhere and I think the people working for these companies need to respond more. Instead of focusing so much on sales, there is more focus on what their brand can communicate and how it can change society for the better.
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The episode explored why, despite so many men experiencing these issues, very few are willing to discuss feeling uncomfortable or unhappy about their bodies.
Dunlop explained: “The role of toxic masculinity is really prominent in this. I think there are narratives around femininity and femininity and that means there’s interaction here too. A lot of it, because we’re not talking about it, when it happens, it feels really isolating, really isolating. The feeling of ‘Okay, there must be something wrong with me’ is so strong, that definitely people are aware of it. “I don’t talk.”
“Talking about it and being open and honest with yourself and those around you is half the battle,” says Von Hep. “Every body wobbles. As a spray tanner I’ve worked with every type of body you can imagine – with underwear, without underwear, it was the norm. I’ve worked with Victoria’s Secret models, I’ve worked with Hollywood actors and actresses, you name it I’ve tanned it, and every single person who comes into a spray tan booth, no matter who they are, comes in to apologize for their body. Is used.”
“We are all bound to hate the way we look. Having these ups and downs is part of being human […] Society gives a lot of importance to aesthetics,” he adds.
The episode also covered the experiences of young boys in schools, the origins of male beauty standards, GLP-1 and steroid use, what the future looks like for men’s mental health, good role models, and strategies for feeling more confident and building self-esteem.
Listen to the episode here and watch the full episode on YouTube. Well Enough is available wherever you get your podcasts.
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