Even men suffer because of weight. Their weight problems are just as dangerous as those that afflict women, but it's not just the extra pounds that harm men
The data is relentless. According to the Czech Statistical Office, obesity threatens almost 20% of the population - and it has to be said that even children have weight problems, a full fifth of all those aged between 11 and 15. As far as adults are concerned, the proportion of men and women who are at risk of obesity is practically the same, but men slightly outnumber women. Although more men (47%) than women (33%) are even slightly overweight, the interest in losing weight is still mainly attributed to women.
Women are losing weight and men are watching. Really?
If one focuses on lifestyle magazines, their front pages, and even online media, one is bound to conclude that women are doing virtually nothing but losing weight (or trying to). Because the extra pounds just don't suit them and, especially in the summer, they just don't look good in a swimsuit. This idea hangs in the air despite all the efforts to spread the idea of body positivity and the fact that body acceptance is indeed becoming a big social issue. But it's primarily a women's topic. However, the stigma attached to being underweight also hits men very hard. However, it should also be said that the so-called 'fat shaming', i.e. the shame that people experience when their body does not meet expectations, is very different from the 'female version' in the case of men.
When Mary Himmelstein's research on weight-related stigma against men was published two years ago, it showed that the issue had been unfairly swept under the carpet. In the first place, research has shown that men find it much harder to cope with weight problems than women. I mean, it's certainly not a topic they discuss with their friends over a beer in the same way that women discuss their weight problems with their girlfriends over coffee or a glass of wine. "It is often assumed that conversations about weight loss, body image issues and diet are more important for women. Men are often overlooked in these contexts, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are less affected by the stigma of inadequate weight or that they internalize negative biases less," explained the study's lead author.
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But beyond that, the researchers also came to another rather surprising conclusion - while women's stigma of inadequate weight increases proportionally with weight gain, men's is different - and the "proportionality" curve is more of a U-shape. That men also have problems if they don't weigh enough...
Weight shame from extreme to extreme
The so-called Body Mass Index (BMI) is generally used to judge how 'healthy' a person's weight is. This is based on the basic assumption that the level of body fat increases with body weight. The BMI value itself can be arrived at using fairly simple mathematics, as it is the product of weight and height squared, i.e. BMI = body weight (kg) ÷ body height² (m). The result determines underweight (values below 18.5), optimal weight (from 18.5 to 25), overweight and also the various degrees of obesity.
Despite many objective objections that this numerical value does not take into account the percentage of muscle, etc., the BMI is still considered at least as an indicative indicator of how normal a person's weight is or is not. And it was also used in the case of the above-mentioned research to categorise individual participants. Thus, the U-shaped curve showed that the stigma associated with weight in the case of men applies both to those with a BMI in the obese range and to those whose BMI is in the underweight range. And this, according to Himmelstein, is probably related to society's stereotypes of masculinity - men are supposed to be strong (in the sense of "muscular", of course), stereotypically with broad shoulders and a developed chest. But of course, none of this is fulfilled by the "silver-haired" men who weigh 60 kilos even with a bed. So although women aren't exactly underweight either, generally speaking they don't have to struggle with this proportion requirement.
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Weight stigma = a problem regardless of gender
At the same time, as the study points out, up to 40 percent of men may suffer from weight-related stigma - and the most common problem they face is, of course, various verbal innuendos and attacks, both from peers, loved ones and complete strangers. In addition to this, the team of researchers concluded that men with weight stigma also have more depressive symptoms, are more likely to binge eat, and are less likely to find a long-term relationship.
All of this information is very valuable, according to the researchers, and also suggests the need for increased attention across the health care system. Thus, physicians should not overlook their patients' weight and how they perceive it, as this is the only way to identify possible associated risks in advance. "Our study shows that weight stigma is not a gender issue. It can affect men's health in the same detrimental ways that it damages women's health. At the same time, neglecting these issues in men - whether in research or in clinical practice - can cause serious treatment disadvantages," Himmelstein summarizes.
While the call for change in research and clinical practice is certainly warranted, what needs to change above all is the general (and largely feminized) discourse about weight. While the idea of magazines suddenly appearing on newsstands with men in swimsuits shedding Christmas pounds may seem ludicrous (and of course it is not the right way to change the way we think about our own bodies, which is also true of magazines aimed at women), at the very least it would bring the subject into focus. Because as the head of the nonprofit Obesity Action Coalition, Joe Nadglowski, notes, "We often applaud women today for addressing their weight. But men are often stigmatized by their peers in similar efforts. But the reality is that gender doesn't play much of a role in judging people by their weight - from a certain point on, prejudice simply sets in."
