Bigorexia: Teens eating everything in the house, muscle building, and Bigorexia.

Ask Rachel anything Boys and men who display a muscular physique that's 'ripped', or 'cut' get more likes and shares than other accounts on social media, so the algorithms behind the platforms are feeding a strong trend in muscle building amongst teen boys. But who ends up feeding the ravenously hungry, and is it all healthy? Louise has asked us for help with how to manage feeding her growing lad. Her son – who’s 17 - goes to the gym to muscle-build five days a week and then expects her to provide him with the foods that go with his lifestyle. With the current financial climate, she says can’t afford to provide him with all the food to match his gym needs. She expects him to ask if he wants to take food because some of it is earmarked for an evening meal or baking. Sometimes he asks, sometimes he just helps himself. She says they’re continually falling out over this and she'd like some tips on how to deal with it. The term Bigorexia was raised during my interview with Mike Nicholson from Progressive Masculinity. It's used to describe a particular form of body dysmorphia and controlled eating that's hard to spot, because the people suffering look outwardly super-healthy. It's a growing issue, and little understood, so we decided to use this episode to talk about both problems and give you some ideas for how to tackle them. RESOURCES: Do you have body dysmorphic disorder? Check here: https://bddfoundation.org/information/do-i-have-bdd-test/ HELP LINES · https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ · https://bdd.iocdf.org/ · https://www.itv.com/thismorning/articles/eating-disorder-helplines · www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org RESEARCH USED: · https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a41133394/bigorexia-muscle-dysmorphia-special-report/ · https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-social-media-linked-symptoms-muscle.html ‘The day you start lifting is the day you become forever small’: Bodybuilders explain muscle dysmorphia https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13634593221093494 More Muscles, More “Likes”: The Rise of Bigorexia and How Social Media is Fueling Unhealthy Body Image Among Young Men in Behavioral Health, Clinical, Mental Health EHR, Outpatient Care by Darice Warren https://www.nssbehavioralhealth.com/nss-blog-the-rise-of-bigorexia-and-how-social-media-is-fueling-unhealthy-body-image-among-young-men/ · https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/bigorexia/#:~:text=Bigorexia%20statistics%20are%20difficult%20to,about%20not%20having%20enough%20muscles. · https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220531/People-lifting- Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. Find all the tips from the episode on Substack: My email [email protected] My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me Instagram Facebook