It's a double-edged sword, but the situation is beginning to change. But, all men will be better off once they get over the shame associated with keeping their problems secret. No wonder so few have been willing to seek professional help. Male skin is definitely in, as evidence on billboards, magazine covers, and shows like NYPD Blue and the numerous Baywatch clones. Even mainstream magazines like TIME and Men's Journal have recently featured bare-chested hunks on their covers.
Some men turn to cosmetic surgery for a solution.
Like an emaciated anorexic who looks in the mirror and sees fat, many overly brawny bodybuilders see parts of their body as being too scrawny. Binge eating disorder is another illness which is as common for men as women, and men who compulsively exercise share many of the same traits as anorexics. Thomas Holbrook, M.D., a coauthor of Making Weight, suffered from compulsive exercise and an eating disorder. I even went to the Mayo Clinic, and not one specialist questioned if I had an eating disorder. Clinicians are starting to learn more about gender-specific treatment and how eating disorders and body image issues effect the sexes differently.