While most of this research has been
conducted with women, there is some
evidence of an association between
negative body images and exposure to ideal
male images (1), and people’s inability to obtain the “perfect body” has led to an
increased prevalence of negative body
image in both men and women (9). When
exposed to images of muscular male
models, men who frequently went to a gym
reported higher levels of self-enhancement
but men who did not exercise frequently
reported a more negative perception of
their physical appearance (11).