“Bigorexia,” Social Media, and Eating Disorders in Men

Exercise, nutritious food, and strength training can support physical health, mental well-being, and long-term health. Regular physical activity can improve cardiovascular and bone health, sleep, mood, and resilience to stress, while balanced nutrition provides the energy and nutrients the body needs.

At the same time, ideas about what it means to look “fit” are increasingly shaped by appearance. Lean, muscular, and highly defined bodies are often presented as signs of health, discipline, or success, while social media and fitness culture can make these ideals especially visible. Repeated exposure to certain body types, transformation content, and fitness advice can also create narrow expectations about what health and fitness look like.

These influences can affect people differently. Age, culture, sexual orientation, ability, body type, sport or fitness environment, and other life experiences can all shape how someone relates to food, exercise, and their body. Research has also found higher levels of some body-image and eating concerns among gay men compared with heterosexual men, including pressures related to both leanness and muscularity.

In this article, we’ll explore men’s body image, eating disorders, and muscle dysmorphia, along with the terms “bigorexia” and “bigorexia nervosa,” which are sometimes used in research and popular discussion. We’ll also look at some of the ways appearance-focused fitness culture can affect expectations and well-being.

Eating disorders and men’s experiences

Eating disorders can affect people of any gender, but they don’t always look the way people expect. Because eating disorders are often associated with the pursuit of thinness or weight loss, some of the body goals and eating concerns experienced by men may be less readily recognized.

For some men, body image concerns may focus less on becoming smaller and more on becoming both leaner and more muscular. This can involve carefully controlling food intake, using supplements, or moving between periods of “bulking”—eating and training with the goal of gaining muscle—and “cutting”—reducing body fat while trying to maintain muscle.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), eating disorders and disordered eating affect a significant number of men and have historically been underrecognized. Stereotypes about who experiences an eating disorder can influence whether men recognize concerns in themselves, feel comfortable seeking support, or understand that what they are experiencing may warrant attention.

Fitness culture can make some concerns harder to distinguish from common fitness practices. Closely tracking food or exercise, following strict routines, or training frequently may be viewed as commitment or discipline. What can be more important is whether these behaviours are becoming increasingly rigid, creating stress, or interfering with other parts of life. Looking at how they affect someone’s well-being and everyday life can provide a fuller picture than appearance or fitness habits alone.

When progress starts to feel different

Fitness goals can be motivating. Seeing changes in strength, endurance, or appearance can feel rewarding and give someone a sense of progress. For some men, however, the goal can begin to feel increasingly difficult to reach or maintain. A goal that once felt meaningful can become harder to appreciate or maintain, with attention shifting toward what still needs to change.

This experience can be part of muscle dysmorphia, a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) involving a persistent concern that the body is not muscular, lean, or developed enough. It is sometimes informally called “bigorexia,” although muscle dysmorphia is the formal term.

As appearance becomes more important, it can begin to shape other parts of daily life. Meals may become more rigid, workouts harder to miss or adjust, and eating patterns increasingly restrictive. Other signs of health, including energy, sleep, recovery, mobility, enjoyment, and connection, may receive less attention.

While fitness goals, structured training, and thoughtful nutrition can all support health and well-being, what is more helpful is to notice whether there’s room for flexibility. Can a workout be missed without significant guilt or anxiety? Are you able to change plans without feeling as though progress has been undone? Can food still be enjoyed without every choice being measured against a physique goal?

Flexibility matters because healthy routines generally allow room for everyday life. A workout may occasionally need to be missed because of illness, injury, work, family, rest, or a social event. Meals can vary while still supporting overall nutrition. When changing a routine instead produces intense anxiety, guilt, shame, or a sense of losing control, it may suggest that the routine is beginning to affect mental well-being rather than simply support it.

Signs your relationship with body image, fitness, or food may be becoming unhealthy

How we feel about our bodies can change from day to day, and comparing ourselves with others from time to time is common. It may be helpful to pay closer attention when thoughts or behaviours related to appearance, food, or exercise begin taking up more time or mental space.

For example, you may notice:

• repeatedly checking your muscles, weight, measurements, or reflection
• comparing your body with people at the gym or online
• feeling that physical progress is never quite enough
• becoming very anxious, guilty, or frustrated when you miss a workout or eat differently than planned
• exercising through injuries, illness, or significant fatigue
• avoiding meals, travel, social events, or other activities because they interfere with a food or exercise routine
• feeling that your confidence or self-worth depends largely on how lean or muscular you look
• feeling increasing pressure to use supplements or other products that promise faster physical changes

Some of these experiences can be connected to social physique anxiety, or worry about how your body may be perceived or evaluated by others. Research involving male university students who strength trained found that greater social physique anxiety was associated with more frequent body checking and comparison. When these behaviours become harder to step away from, they can be a sign that appearance is taking up more mental space.

Social media, fitness, and the pressure to compare

Online fitness content can create a steady stream of images, advice, and routines centred on appearance and body composition. Highly muscular physiques, transformation photos, “what I eat in a day” videos, body-fat percentages, and carefully planned high-protein meals can all influence what starts to feel typical, desirable, or achievable.

What appears on screen may not show the full picture. Genetics, years of training, posing, lighting, editing, professional support, and, in some cases, the use of appearance- and performance-enhancing substances can all contribute to a particular physique. Without that context, comparisons may be based on an incomplete picture of what went into someone else’s appearance.

A 2025 study of young German athletes found that greater social media use was associated with higher muscle dysmorphia symptoms. Comparison with fitness influencers appeared to play an important role, with social media-related body dissatisfaction linked to greater pressure to achieve a particular body composition. The findings highlight how appearance-focused fitness content may shape body expectations and the way people evaluate their own progress. Similar appearance-based comparisons can also extend into dating spaces, where photos and physical descriptions may shape first impressions and reinforce attention to appearance.

Food and nutrition content can shape expectations in similar ways. Advice about protein, calories, macros, and meal preparation can be useful, while some online content may also present highly structured eating as a marker of commitment or discipline. This can leave less room to respond to hunger cues, enjoy food, include cultural foods, share social meals, or simply eat differently from one day to the next.

The impact of social media on body image isn’t only about how much time a person spends online. What they see in their feed, and how that content makes them feel, can also play a role. A more balanced feed might include:

• creators who emphasize strength, recovery, enjoyment, and overall health
• a wider range of bodies, abilities, and approaches to fitness
• content that leaves you feeling informed, motivated, or supported rather than consistently pressured or dissatisfied
• fewer accounts that regularly increase comparison or pressure
• health, nutrition, and supplement information that can be checked against reliable sources

While social media can be a source of information, motivation, and community, it can also spread misinformation and promote unrealistic expectations, unregulated supplements, and products or advice that aren’t supported by evidence. In some fitness spaces, repeated exposure to highly muscular physiques and rapid transformation content can also make certain supplements, hormones, or performance products seem more common or expected than they may actually be. Being aware of how different content affects you can make it easier to recognize what feels supportive and what may be adding pressure.

Building a more flexible relationship with your body

Fitness and nutrition can support long-term health and well-being while still allowing room for flexibility, enjoyment, and other ways of measuring progress. Energy, sleep, mobility, recovery, enjoyment, connection, and how your body supports you in everyday life can all matter alongside strength or appearance.

A balanced approach can include pursuing meaningful goals while still being able to rest, adjust a workout, enjoy a range of foods, and take part in social activities. Flexibility can help fitness and nutrition remain supportive parts of life rather than becoming its main focus.

If thoughts about your physical appearance, eating patterns, or exercise habits start affecting your daily life, relationships, emotional well-being, or physical health, support is available. A healthcare provider or mental health professional with experience in body image or eating disorders can help.

Are you or someone you care about living with an eating disorder? Reach out today to learn more.

References

Arey D (22 July 2025) Male body image in focus: muscularity-oriented eating behaviours, muscle dysmorphia, and exercise addiction in gay and heterosexual men. National Library of Medicine. Accessed 2 September 2026

Arslan M, et al. (2022) The Effect of Bigorexia Nervosa on Eating Attitudes and Physical Activity: A Study on University Students. International Journal of Clinical Practice. Accessed 2 September 2026

Fueth M et al. (2025) Social Media Exposure and Muscle Dysmorphia Risk in Young German Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Survey with Machine-Learning Insights Using the MDDI-1. healthcare. Accessed 2 September 2026

Government of Canada (n.d.) Using Bodybuilding Products. Accessed 2 September 2026

National Eating Disorders Association (n.d.) Eating Disorders in Men and Boys. Accessed 2 September 2026

Washington N (updated 3 November 2025) What Is Bigorexia (Muscle Dysmorphia) and How to Find Support. healthline. Accessed 2 September 2026

Zheng Y, et al. (23 September 2021) The Association of Muscle Dysmorphia, Social Physique Anxiety, and Body Checking Behavior in Male College Students with Weight Exercise. Frontiers in Psychology. Accessed 2 September 2026