Research Finds Bodybuilders With Similar Body Image Concerns, Whether Or Not They Use Steroids

Fabricated illness alert!

"When it comes to characteristics associated with muscle dysmorphia, there is no difference between bodybuilders who use steroids and those who do not, a University of Arkansas researcher found.

Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder characterized by an individual's excessive preoccupation with muscularity and body fat percentage, usually in bodybuilding. It is predominantly evident in males when there is a pathological preoccupation with a lack of muscular size and leanness."

What is important about this piece is the demonization of wanting to look good according to one's own definition (no pun intended) and the prejudice against those pursuing that goal.

We do not hear about brain dys-anything when it comes to people who study in order to become "smarter" than the rest of us or to achieve their goal of superior brights.

"'One of the problems associated with classifying muscular dysmorphia is that, while it is receiving increasing attention in the mental health literature, muscle dysmorphia is not recognized by the American Psychological Association as a distinct mental illness,' said Kissinger."

Good for the APA.

"'Most people will assume bodybuilders using steroids are those with muscle dysmorphia,' he said. 'By separating natural and non-natural bodybuilders, I found that either group is equally likely to have all of the traits of muscle dysmorphia with the exception of pharmacological use.'

Baghurst used the 27-question Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory to survey participants. The participants consisted of competitive natural and non-natural bodybuilders, non-competitive weight trainers who concentrate on improving physique and collegiate football players. The collegiate football players scored lowest on all subscales of muscle dysmorphia except for physique protection, where they scored highest. He found that collegiate football players do not appear to exhibit traits associated with muscle dysmorphia to the same degree as other weight-training groups.

Baghurst also found those males who were weight training to improve their physique, but were not bodybuilders also had some characteristics associated with muscle dysmorphia including dissatisfaction with their size and symmetry.

'This is an important finding, because it shows that someone doesn't have to be big and buff to have concerns about how muscular they are or how much body fat they have,' Baghurst said."

The only important finding of this research is the proof that this idiot's funding should be cut.