What role do steroids play in male eating disorders?
In our culture, muscularity equals masculinity for many men. Strength, power, respect, threat, admiration, attractiveness, confidence, and sexual virility become conflated with muscularity, making this facet of appearance feel emotionally paramount for some men. That’s where steroid use comes in. Say the authors of The Adonis Complex: “…steroids have created athletes, actors, and models bigger and stronger than any ordinary man, and the media have promulgated their images everywhere. These images have glorified the steroid-pumped body, portraying it as a model of health, athletic prowess, hard work, and dedication—while almost never admitting that it was a product of dangerous chemicals.” And the prevalence of use of these dangerous chemicals by males is much higher than people think: it’s estimated that 1 to 3 million males in the U.S. have used steroids.
