According to mental health experts, men may have a harder time accessing communication tools to express their insecurities and work through them. While there’s recently been more cultural celebration of a diverse range of body types for men and women, for men to communicate openly about body concerns still carries a stigma.
In an effort to demonstrate that men of all ages and sizes struggle with body image, HuffPost Women photographed 19 men, from those in their 20s to their 60s, without their shirts and spoke candidly with them about their body hang-ups.
READ THE WHOLE STORY & 19 photos HERE @ HUFFPOST
“I’m realistic about my body. I take care of myself and exercise vigorously and regularly, but know that I’m not 30 anymore. I see a lot of guys my age whose bodies look, well, sad, and I am determined not to let that happen.
This is embarrassing, but I will sometimes press my fingers on the side of my stomach to try to convince myself my abs are ‘tight.’ I don’t talk to my friends about body concerns very often. I do notice that most of my friends are married and overweight — not sure if there’s a correlation between those two facts, but as a result, we don’t talk much about body issues.”
“Being 59-ish years old, things aren’t as firm as they use to be or even in the same places, but I have no problems about my body now or ever. I do chat with friends about how I should get back to a gym and get more exercise, just because I’m not getting any younger.”
“I typically feel like no one can tell I have a belly when my shirt is on, so I feel like I’m exposing a secret when my shirt comes off. I don’t remember a moment in my life when I felt totally comfortable with my body. It’s been especially bad since leaving college, possibly because of the insecurity that comes with new friends, new living arrangements and living in a new town. However, in 2015, I’ve started to become more secure with my body and more confident.
I rarely open up about it unless it’s with close friends. The handful I do talk to always give me the same reaction: Oh, you’re not fat! It’s nice to hear, but no matter how often I hear it, I don’t believe it. Some friends even tell me they think of me as ‘athletic.’ If anything, I think these responses confuse me, because I still can’t comprehend how I would look like I don’t have a big belly. It’s not that I’d rather them say, Yeah, you could stand to lose a few, but it makes it more difficult for me to process my insecurity against friends’ reassurance.”
READ THE WHOLE STORY & 19 photos HERE @ HUFFPOST pics by Damon Dahlen, editorial by Tyler Kingkade
