Muscularity stigma: An overlooked but important form of appearance stigma

Abstract

Appearance stigma is a pervasive form of social stigma linked to various adverse biopsychosocial outcomes. Research in this domain has predominantly focused on one aspect of physical appearance: body weight or size (i.e., weight stigma). Muscularity is another essential dimension of physical appearance, and individuals can have both experienced and internalized stigma due to muscularity (i.e., muscularity stigma). However, muscularity stigma remains understudied. Given that ideal body shapes are defined by both thinness and muscularity, there are societal stereotypes related to muscularity, and existing evidence supports the close links between muscularity stigma and eating and body image disturbances, we call for more research on muscularity stigma. To support future research in this area, we discuss potential mechanisms linking muscularity stigma to eating and body image and outline potential research directions on muscularity stigma to advance this literature.