" Fraiser also noted that "women are no longer settling for chubby, balding executives. They don't have to." On the same subject, University of Pennsylvania Psychologist David Sawrer stated that "it used to be that men responded to physical beauty and women responded to power and status. Now women have their own power and status, and they"re looking for more attractive men." Yet what are the dangers that go hand in hand with such an increase in personal dissatisfaction? .
Of the Millions of people diagnosed with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, and bulimia each year, almost ten percent are men. It seems that these numbers are directly proportional to the increased number of men undergoing silicone calf and pectoral implants, so they could look like the guys on the cover of hundreds of muscles magazines, minus the work. Although men are still far from being as anxious and depressed as women about their looks, according to Debbie Then, a California-based social psychologist, "There's definitely more emphasis on men's looks, bodies and weight than in any time in the past, but I don't think men will ever feel the intense pressure to be trim and attractive that women face every day." A nationwide survey administered by "Psychology Today" showed that 63% percent of men were dissatisfied with their abdomens, 52% were dissatisfied with their weight, 54% were dissatisfied with their muscle tone, and 43% were dissatisfied with their overall appearance. More surprising is that these numbers have risen at least 10% from surveys done in 1986. Yet by far, the most alarming aspect of this new epidemic is that psychologists have identified a new disorder in men called "body dysmorphia", which they say involves extreme, exaggerated dissatisfaction with their bodies and appearance. The most troublesome aspects for men are their body build, hair loss, and genital size. "Body dysmorphia" can lead to extensive and often extreme stints at the gym, sometimes five to six hours a day, steroids and even implants.
