The impact of a brief masculine body image pilot program on college-aged men

Abstract

Objectives

These two pilot studies aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a new body image curriculum for men. The program introduces men to body image programming that targets muscle-building behaviors and addresses unrealistic male appearance standards and masculine gender norms, aiming to improve men’s body satisfaction and eating attitudes.

Method

We recruited 84 U.S. men from a public university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States to participate in one 90-minute-long body image intervention adapted for men from the Be Body Positive curriculum. The majority of participants were white/caucasian and heterosexual, ages 18–20. Participants completed measures assessing eating disorder attitudes and appearance comparison in Study 1, whereas in Study 2, participants completed measures assessing mood and body image states. Additionally, participants in both studies answered program satisfaction questions.

Results

While the pilot program showed no impact on eating disorder symptoms or appearance comparison in Study 1, participants reported satisfaction with the program, discovering messages that influenced their relationships with food, body, and exercise, and increased awareness of unrealistic appearance standards. In Study 2, participants reported improved negative mood states and body satisfaction following the intervention.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that targeted programming can effectively address key aspects of male body image concerns, highlight the promising impact of male-specific body image interventions, and underscore the importance of continued research and development in this area.