An Unknown Issue

       While more awareness has been raised towards body image dissatisfaction in men, it is still something that little is known about, and even less individuals are aware of. Additionally, there is a thin line between healthy and unhealthy in terms of body image dissatisfaction. For example, body image dissatisfaction can lead individuals to eat healthier, exercise more frequently and overall adopt a healthier lifestyle leading to an increase in overall physical and mental well-being. Because of this often times body image dissatisfaction is overlooked in men because in some cases positive results come out of it.
       Unfortunately there are cases when certain physical and emotional disorders can arise because of body image dissatisfaction. In terms of mental health men with high levels of body image dissatisfaction have a higher  correlation to express symptoms of Depression, Anxiety disorders such as OCD particularly around diet and exercise, Anxiety disorders related to the social environment, and disordered eating. There are also physical repercussions for individuals with body image dissatisfaction. These individuals may over-exercise cause damage to their body that can have life-long effects, they may consume supplements that can attribute to unhealthy eating habits, or come along with unknown side effects. For example, several dietary supplements for weightlifting have caffeine in them. Caffeine can cause physical and emotional symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, withdrawal symptoms, and anxiety. Lastly, body image dissatisfaction can lead to the use of performance enhancing drugs and anabolic steroids.
       Although more and more research is cropping up in relation to men and body image dissatisfaction, little is know of the prevalence in men. Additionally, research is looking to expand areas that focus on men of different ethnicities as well as men at different ages/development in life.