Many people have a wrong notion that only girls with bad body image are likely to be upset. But the reality is that even teen boys may have issues if they are not happy with their body images. They may resort to use of drugs and binge drinking and a sizable number of them may be affected by depression also. In other words, the inferiority complex developed by these adolescent boys may lead to teen depression.
This has been revealed in a study and more than 30 percent of the boys who were studied admitted that they indulged in binge eating. This shows that the issue of body image may affect boys also. When these male adolescents are affected, the thought of having a good appearance may become an obsession in their minds and so, they may tend to take all possible steps for enhancing their bodies.
Male Teens Should Also Be Studied
US researchers say that this issue may have many similarities with eating disorders that are traditionally found in teens. They also say that this issue may involve use of supplements, binge drinking or recreational use of drugs and may pair with depression also. Researchers who conducted this study have now concluded that that while considering eating disorders and the links between bad body images and teen depression, they must necessarily consider males also.
Eating Disorders
Some of the eating disorders that are commonly found are anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, etc. In anorexia nervosa, the affected person may refuse or may be reluctant to eat and in bulimia nervosa, the person does binge eating and then, purges what he or she eats by using laxatives or by vomiting.
But there seems to be a main difference between these male teens and the female teens. Males strive for something that is completely different from what females do. An estimate says that about one-tenth of males may be affected by eating disorders and body image issues. But researchers wanted to know if these eating disorders got linked to unhealthy behaviors like use of drug or alcohol at a later date.
Findings of The Research
About 31 percent of the teens questioned agreed that they had resorted to binge eating or purging on some occasion or the other. 9 percent of these male teens seemed to have very high concerns about the muscularity of their body. 2 percent of them were not only concerned with the muscularity of the body but were resorting to use of supplements, growth-hormone derivatives or even anabolic steroids for enhancing it.
This clearly indicates that bad body images push male adolescents also towards teen depression or even use of drugs. This means that those teens who are very much concerned with their physique may take action like using substances to enhance their physique or body image. Since there are a number of products available in the market, these teens may do research in their own way and choose their products. But unfortunately, most of the products do not give the benefits or the effects that are promised, though they may have been tested.
The unfortunate fall-out of this behavior is that these male adolescents may develop teen depression and may resort to use of drugs also. Experts who have conducted these studies are of the opinion that these findings may be useful for their future research.
The fact is that teens, whether male or a female, may be concerned about their body image. But if they are excessively obsessed with it, developing into teen depression, it is a matter to be studied.