Medically CitedAdmit That the Problem Is Real
You’ve heard many stories about how admitting the problem is the first and the most vital step in overcoming it. Well, this applies to body shame, too. You might think that you can’t show your vulnerability to the rest of the world (or yourself) because you are a man. Fortunately, modern times have thrown those stereotypes out the window and being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak anymore.
Identify Your Flaws
Now that we have established that vulnerability is acceptable, you should move on to identifying our “weak spots.” In this case, these are parts of your body that you are not satisfied with. This will be apparent if you are dealing with obesity and secretly dream about losing those extra pounds once and for all. [1]
However, you may be particularly sensitive when it comes to your beer belly or thighs. Many men out there do not like when someone teases them about their “man boobs”. Apparently when you see yourself in the mirror it eventually makes you sad about the way you look with the stout belly and the out of shape body. Feels disgusting to act on the way
You will find those that go into detail and hate that they have a big nose or small hands and, of course, there is the issue of penis size. In short, everything that may feel “abnormal,” regardless of whether that is truly the case, can cause body shame.
Why Are You Feeling Ashamed?
Body shaming is the overvaluing of body image and your appearance, leading to extreme self-criticism. [2]
The next step is starting to get into the core of the problem. You may have been experiencing similar problems since your childhood. Maybe even your parents criticized the fact you are overweight instead of providing support.
The internet and TV also have a huge effect on forming our opinions. It is not easy to watch all those actors and singers with a lean body and ideal abs when you don’t have either. [3]
The problem of feeling body shame appears because of the belief you are not looking like you are supposedly expected to from the rest of the world or the people that you respect or idolize.
Start Eliminating the Shame
The next step is to invest time, effort, and patience to forget the self-loathing that makes us less confident for no reasons. Stand in front of the mirror and find at least three parts of your body that you love.
We are certain that there are more than three, but list them as a beginning. Isolate them from the rest of your body and acknowledge that they are your best physical characteristics. No matter what gender or size you are, everyone has the potential to feel the effects of body shame. [4]
Allow us to make some suggestions – a beautiful smile, nice-looking butt, bright eyes, etc. We are certain that you have received compliments about particular body parts in the past.
Try to remember them and focus on acknowledging that there are positive things about your appearance, too. The idea is not to waste time on those characteristics that are making you feel unworthy but use positives as motivation and inspiration to feel better.
There Is More to You Than Others See
People can be cruel with their comments about physical appearance. Whether they are aware of that or not, they can cause others to feel body shame.
Try to practice not caring about what other people have to say. This is a long-term process and it could take a bit of exercise but always remember that the particular characteristic you are feeling ashamed about is not what defines you.
Instead, it is merely an opinion of someone who is trying to disrupt your happiness. Acknowledge they do not have the right to influence whether you will feel happy or not – you deserve to have a smile on your face and be satisfied with your life. [5]
Do not forget that human beings are far more than just physical appearance. We all have a wide array of qualities and specifics that come with our minds, emotions, and personalities. Nobody is perfect, but you certainly have numerous qualities that outweigh whatever you see as flaws.
Eliminating the Causes of Body Shame
Another way of feeling better about yourself is avoiding the situations that can make you feel ashamed in the first place. For example, if you have a friend that always criticizes your appearance, try to ask them not to do this anymore or start seeing them less than before.
If there is a particular TV show or channel that often causes the feeling of body shame, stop watching it. Identify the causes and avoid stressful situations to help yourself deal with shaming more successfully. [6]
Conclusion
At the end of the day, it is vital to understand that men have an equal right to feel body shame as women. In fact, body shaming in men is quite common and willing to deal with the problem is the first step to resolving it. Do not be afraid and tackle the issue bravely.
We hope that these steps will be able to help you on the road of becoming a lot more confident about your appearance.
6 Sources
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
[1] Quittkat HL, Hartmann AS, Düsing R, Buhlmann U, Vocks S. Body Dissatisfaction, Importance of Appearance, and Body Appreciation in Men and Women Over the Lifespan. Front Psychiatry. 2019 Dec 17;10:864. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00864. PMID: 31920737; PMCID: PMC6928134.[2] Czepczor-Bernat K. The Role of Body Shame and Age on Appearance-Based Exercise and Positive Body Image in Women from Poland: Preliminary Results of a Cluster Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 26;19(23):15741. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315741. PMID: 36497817; PMCID: PMC9740310.
[3] Jiotsa B, Naccache B, Duval M, Rocher B, Grall-Bronnec M. Social Media Use and Body Image Disorders: Association between Frequency of Comparing One's Own Physical Appearance to That of People Being Followed on Social Media and Body Dissatisfaction and Drive for Thinness. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 11;18(6):2880. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18062880. PMID: 33799804; PMCID: PMC8001450.
[4] Warnick JL, Darling KE, Rancourt D. The association between negative body talk and body shame on disordered eating symptoms among college students. Eat Behav. 2022 Aug;46:101648. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2022.101648. Epub 2022 Jun 22. PMID: 35753288; PMCID: PMC10031539.
[5] Vogel L. Fat shaming is making people sicker and heavier. CMAJ. 2019 Jun 10;191(23):E649. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-5758. PMID: 31182466; PMCID: PMC6565398.
[6] Weingarden H, Renshaw KD, Tangney JP, Wilhelm S. Development and Validation of the Body-Focused Shame and Guilt Scale. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord. 2016 Jan 1;8:9-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2015.11.001. PMID: 26640760; PMCID: PMC4665112.
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