Body image a concern for boys as well as girls

According to the results of a new survey, there is a growing trend of boys being ever more concerned about their appearance. It has long since been recognised that young girls suffer from these anxieties, but now the rise in boys sharing these concerns is worrying experts.

The survey was undertaken amongst 1,000 young boys aged between 8 and 18. The results suggest that boys are increasingly seeing steps such as dieting and extreme exercising as issues that both boys and girls could fall foul of.

Many also feel that they are unable to share these concerns with adults, with over half feeling that they couldn’t talk to teachers and almost one-third believing they could not talk to their parents about how they are feeling.

Impact of influencers

Fuelling these concerns, in part, is the belief that there is a ‘perfect male body’, with 23% of those surveyed feeling that this is the case. No doubt exacerbated by the ease of access to social media and other platforms where ‘perfection’ is readily flaunted by those whom many young people follow or engage with. The research suggests that peer groups, social media, advertising and famous people are the biggest influencers of how boys feel they should look.

There is no doubt that worrying about appearance and looks during childhood is a concern and one that parents, teachers and health professionals are working hard to address. However, once men have reached adulthood, if they still have concerns about how they look and feel then there are options available to help. There is a growing trend indicating that men are opting for more surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, to help smooth, tone, reshape and tweak areas that they are dissatisfied with.

Changing trends

According to a male cosmetic surgery report published in the Independent, “the number of men choosing to go under the knife has risen by over 110 per cent since 2000, with a report from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Male breast reduction surgery has become increasingly sought after, as those who are struggling to address ‘moobs’ take more effective steps to deal with them. Additionally, non-surgical facial procedures such as fillers are growing in popularity.”

This is a trend that is well recognised in the industry, with requests from men increasing year on year and a much more open attitude to the benefits that cosmetic surgery can have for men who are suffering from self-confidence and self-esteem issues as a result of how they feel they look.