Abstract
Dominant discourses including mass media, psychotherapy theory, and larger institutions reinforce the idea that eating disorders only affect women; men are depicted as not being susceptible to disordered eating. Furthermore the media is a key factor in contributing to the development a prevalence of eating disorders. This project argues that the media increasingly influences men’s relationship to their bodies and make men, particularly gay men, vulnerable to eating disorders. Since popular culture plays a key role in constructing gender roles, it is crucial to interrogate media representations as they relate to specifications of the body. In an attempt to examine the connection between gay men, media images, and eating disorders, this researcher conducted a series of interviews to explore gay male eating disorder behaviors as they relate to the expectations of the media and gay culture. The findings of this project show that one hundred percent of participants have experienced body dysmorphia as a result of the media, and fifty percent have experienced some form of disordered eating that has been influenced and reinforced by the images in mass media. The goal of this project is to bring awareness and provide information to service providers such as social workers in order to improve treatment options for all men suffering from an eating disorder.