Bigorexia is a condition that has been known about for a number of years now, but it has recently been hitting the headlines in the UK because according to a report by the BBC, new research suggests that 10% of men who go to the gym (in the UK) suffer from this condition.
So what exactly is Bigorexia, and why is this a problem?
Well Bigorexia, which is also known as muscle dysmorphia, is basically a state of mind whereby the people affected are never really satisfied with how they look.
More specifically, it arises when men become convinced that their muscles are too small and constantly feel that their body is imperfect in some way, even though they may have a perfect physique that many other men could only dream about.
This can be caused by the culture of the gym because there will always be people who are bigger and stronger than they are, for example.
It can also be triggered by images in the media showing sportsmen, male models and various different male celebrities who have ripped muscles and perfect physiques because it makes a lot of men feel inferior and pressurised to try to achieve the same body themselves.
Whatever the causes, the fact is that this is not a trivial condition at all because it can have some serious consequences down the line, and can indeed be fatal in some cases.
That’s because in their never-ending quest to get bigger and stronger, people can end up resorting to steroids in order to promote muscle growth even further. This in turn can then damage their health because of the harmful side effects, and can sometimes end up killing them if they have a fatal heart attack, for example.
Plus even if they don’t end up taking steroids, they can still end up consuming too many protein shakes and supplements on a daily basis, which can overburden the liver and the kidneys and cause a number of different health problems.
In addition, sufferers of Bigorexia can also suffer from depression in many instances and may even have suicidal thoughts because they are constantly looking in the mirror all day and are never really happy with how they look, even though everyone else thinks they look great.
Anyway if you think that you might be suffering from this condition yourself, you should check out the BBC article that I linked to above because this lists some of the most common symptoms of Bigorexia and has a link to the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, which has lots of useful advice.
You should also consult a doctor because I would imagine that admitting that you have a problem in the first place is probably the hardest part. Once you start seeking help and start taking steps to rid yourself of Bigorexia, it should hopefully become easier to stop feeling anxious about how you look.
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