“Guys don't talk about their bodies”: A qualitative investigation of male body dissatisfaction and sociocultural influences in a sample of 40 Australian males

Background Contemporary scholarship has established that increasing numbers of men are experiencing body dissatisfaction. However, as a consequence of the enduring assumption that body dissatisfaction is a feminine domain, male body dissatisfaction is associated with considerable stigma. Objective The current study aimed to explore and describe men's experience with body dissatisfaction and investigate sociocultural influences in the context of male body image. Of particular interest was to obtain, from men, perceptions of stigma and gender bias relating to male body dissatisfaction. Methods Seven focus groups were conducted with a total of 40 Australian male university students, aged between 17 and 53 years (M= 20.40;SD= 6.31). To analyse the data, two independent raters adhered to Braun and Clarke's (Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101, 2006) protocol for thematic analysis. Results Seven themes were identified: (a) body dissatisfaction is less dangerous for men compared with women, (b) lack of representation of male body dissatisfaction in the media, (c) friendship group norms influence appearance investment, (d) steroids as dangerous and socially undesirable, (e) muscles signal dedication, but not intellect, (f) masculine norms obstruct disclosure of body dissatisfaction, and (g) professional help as a last resort. Conclusions Participants' responses illustrate the importance of gender norms in the context of male body image, highlight the influence of peers on appearance investment, and reflect that appearance concerns and emotional expression continue to be associated with femininity (and thus, are undesirable for men).