Body Image Myths: Body image issues only affect women.

Welcome back to the Body Image Myths series. Today, we’re tackling a big one — the idea that only women struggle with body image.

Let me be clear: body image issues are not just a “women’s issue.”
Men struggle with this too — straight men, cis men, trans men, and especially gay and bi men.

In fact, research shows that men are often suffering in silence. A study published in BMC Public Health found that up to 40% of men are dissatisfied with their bodies, and among gay and bisexual men, those numbers are significantly higher. One survey conducted by Attitude Magazine found that 84% of gay men feel intense pressure to have a “good” body, and more than half said they are unhappy with their own.

And honestly? It makes perfect sense.
Because men — especially queer men — grow up absorbing the same harmful messages about beauty, worth, desirability, and gender… but we’re just not encouraged to talk about it.

We’re told to:

• “Man up.”

• “Don’t be insecure.”

• “Just go to the gym.”

• “Don’t be emotional.”

So what happens instead? Shame. Comparison. Hyper-fixation on “fixing” our bodies. A drive for muscularity. Disordered eating. Anxiety around dating and intimacy. Feeling like we don’t belong — even in queer spaces that should feel safe.

If you’re feeling this pressure, if this stuff has ever kept you up at night, or made you question your worth — you are not alone. You’re not broken. And you’re not overreacting.

Talking about body image doesn’t make you weak.
It makes you brave. And it helps all of us heal.

So let’s normalize the conversation. Let’s support each other. Let’s challenge the idea that body shame belongs only to women — because men are hurting too, and it’s time to change that.

Find your people. Speak up. Work with a coach, a therapist, or a friend. Healing your relationship with your body is not just possible — it’s necessary. And you deserve to feel at home in yourself.