Survey Finds More Men Struggle With Body Image Than You'd Think

Diet culture has always been more pervasive when it comes to the fairer sex, but that doesn't mean that men are exempt from feeling self conscious about their weight and body image. As such, a recent survey of 1,500 American men found that a whopping one-third are unhappy with their weight, among other eye-opening revelations.

The survey, conducted by Men's Health, sought to find out how dudes really feel about weight and weight loss today. Compared to the 33 percent men who are unhappy with their weight, another 40 percent reported that they were "happy" while another 27 percent said they were "meh" when it came to their waistline. However, a total 70 percent of men feel self conscious about their body to some extent.

In regards to weight loss, 57 percent of men surveyed said that they were trying to lose weight, with one-fifth currently on a diet and nearly three-quarters struggling to lose weight. Of those wanting to lose weight, 19 percent said they had a weight loss goal of 10 pounds, while 35 percent are aiming for 11 to 20 pounds, 21 percent trying to lose 21 to 30 pounds, and 25 percent said they need to lose 30 pounds or more.

An additional 14 percent said that they currently have an eating disorder, with the majority of those respondents identifying as Gen Z. Likewise, 14 percent reported taking a weight loss drug such as Ozempic or Wegovy to help lose weight, with most of those respondents making $150,00 or more per year.

Interestingly enough, Millennials were the generation happiest with their weight, while Gen X men in their 40s and 50s said that they were unhappiest.

"Gen X were raised with masculine gender norms that portrayed an increasingly large and muscular body ideal," said Dr. Jason Nagata, an adolescent medicine specialist who cares for young adults with eating disorders. "Men in their 50s may also be experiencing health-related declines, weight gain, and an onset of chronic diseases."