At a glance
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Evaluating Body Acceptance Programs for Young Men
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Media Advocacy (MA) and More than Muscles (MTM) for Body Image Disturbance and 7 related conditions. Completed, enrolled 241 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
While eating disorders in males are often overlooked, up to 7 million men in the United States will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Critically, men are less likely to seek treatment for an eating disorder compared to women. Therefore, prevention programs that target male-specific eating disorder risk factors prior to the development of an eating or appearance-related disorder are crucial in reducing eating disorders in this population. Preliminary work by our group established the initial efficacy of a novel program, the Body Project: More than Muscles (MTM) compared to assessment-only control. This study will replicate and extend this research by comparing MTM to a time and attention matched control used in previous eating disorder prevention work, media advocacy (MA).
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
MA content generally centers on acknowledging and discussing the role the media has on shaping body image ideals. Session 1: In session 1, similar to MTM, the primary activities will include: (1) describing the ideal body for men in our culture, (2) discussing how the media impacts this ideal, with a particular focus on advertising. Following this, participants will (3) watch a video on how the media influences body image among men, and the consequences of internalizing these messages. Session 2: In session 2, content will continue by further discussion of the video showed in session 1, with participants sharing their reactions. Next, the group discusses the attainability of the ideal as well as discusses other forms of media (e.g., social media) and how it impacts body image.
In session 1, the primary activities are: 1) define the "ideal" body type for men in our culture, 2) discuss the origin and perpetration of the "ideal," 3) brainstorm the costs of pursuing the "ideal," 4) participate in a verbal challenge during which participants counter the "ideal" message, and (5) are asked to complete three "homework" assignments (i.e., a letter to an adolescent boy, a behavioral challenge, and a mirror exposure assignment). In session 2, the primary activities are: 1) reviewing homework, 2) engage in role-plays to counter/discourage pursuit of the "ideal," 3) discuss ways to challenge and avoid "negative body talk" statements, 4) list ways to resist the pressure to pursue this "ideal" both individually and as a group within the larger community (i.e., body activism), 5) discuss barriers to body activism and strategies to overcome those barriers, and 6) individually select an exit exercise to continue to actively challenge the appearance ideal.