The Manconomy Has a Body Image Problem Nobody Is Naming

"Decades of media influence have led to the concept that eating disorders are synonymous with women. It's left an enormous blind spot: the millions of men quietly developing a toxic relationship with their bodies inside the insidious corners of the manconomy, the ever-growing ecosystem of products, influencers, and online communities selling men on the idea that their bodies are problems that need to be solved."

"The obsession isn't only about food; it now includes transformation and optimization. Underneath that is something clinicians need to recognize immediately: disordered eating, compulsive exercise, and an all-consuming relationship with the body as if there is something to be fixed."

"Bulk-and-cut cycles typically involve periods of caloric excess to build muscle mass, followed by severe restriction to eliminate fat, a pattern that mirrors the restrict-binge cycles we see in classic eating disorder presentations. Looksmaxxing joins biohacking, optimization, and wellness—all euphemisms for disordered eating patterns."

Eating disorders have long been perceived as primarily affecting women, creating a significant blind spot in recognizing similar patterns emerging in men. The manconomy—an ecosystem of products, influencers, and online communities—promotes the idea that male bodies are problems requiring solutions. Rather than focusing solely on food restriction, men's disordered eating manifests through obsession with transformation and optimization. Looksmaxxing, biohacking, and wellness culture use new terminology to describe old problems. Bulk-and-cut cycles, involving periods of caloric excess followed by severe restriction, mirror restrict-binge patterns seen in traditional eating disorders. Clinicians must recognize these warning signs, which often hide behind language of discipline and self-improvement rather than being identified as disordered behaviors.

Read at Psychology Today