How Instagram Fitspiration Influences Male Body Standards

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Introduction

This is the second part of our three-part blog series focused on the relationship between bodybuilding and fitness influencers on Instagram and the wider societal impacts that their presence can have. In this article, we’re exploring the ways that ‘Fitspiration’ Instagram accounts can impact the concept of male body standards.

Central to our exploration of this topic is an insightful academic study conducted by Scott J. Fatt, Jasmine Fardouly, and Ronald M. Rapee, that breaks down the links between viewing fitspiration posts and various psychological factors among men. The research unravels the intricate relationship between fitspiration content and men’s attitudes toward their physical appearance and health. Through this analysis, we can better understand the interplay between social media, body image, and exercise behaviors in the digital landscape.

Background and Importance of The Study

A lack of body image satisfaction among men is associated with a plethora of negative outcomes, ranging from the development of eating disorders to heightened levels of depression and even the use of anabolic steroids. Traditionally, scholarly attention on body dissatisfaction has been predominantly directed towards women, with men overlooked in discussions surrounding body image concerns.

However, with the rise of mental health concerns across modern society there is a burgeoning recognition of the prevalence of body dissatisfaction among men, underscoring the importance of further exploration in this domain.

The Tripartite Influence Model

At the heart of body dissatisfaction lie sociocultural influences that shape individuals’ perceptions of their bodies, and often overarching self-worth. The Tripartite Influence Model provides a framework elucidating how body ideals are crafted by three primary sources: peers, family, and media. In the contemporary digital age, social media often takes the role of traditional media sources which are pivotal in perpetuating these ideals, offering a platform where individuals are exposed to curated images and narratives of the idealized body.

Muscles in Media

Within media consumption, the ideal muscular physique stands out as an archetype for men. Through various media channels, like advertisements, movies, and social media platforms, the portrayal of muscular physiques as symbols of strength, attractiveness, and success is ubiquitous. Consequently, men are inundated with images that valorize muscularity, contributing to the internalization of this ideal. It’s comparable to how slimness has been idealized in women for so many years.

Defining #Fitspiration

Fitspiration, often abbreviated as “fitspo,” refers to social media content created by fitness influencers to inspire fitness and health-related behaviors. The primary goal is to motivate individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles by showcasing images of toned bodies, exercise routines, and healthy eating habits.

Understanding Key Concepts of The Study

The study describes three concepts that permeate the discussion of this topic:

• Muscular-Ideal Internalization
• Appearance Comparison Tendency
• Appearance vs Health-Based Exercise Motivation

Muscular-Ideal Internalization: Internalizing the muscular ideal refers to individuals adopting societal standards of muscularity as benchmarks for their bodies. For men, this entails striving to attain a muscular male physique that aligns with prevailing cultural norms of attractiveness and masculinity. Internalization occurs through repeated exposure to muscular bodies, leading individuals to incorporate these ideals into their self-concept. Consequently, men who internalize the muscular ideal may perceive their bodies as inadequate or deficient if they do not conform to these standards.

Appearance Comparison Tendency: Pertains to individuals’ propensity to compare their appearance to others. In the context of body image, this often involves comparing oneself to perceived standards of attractiveness, such as celebrities, peers, or in this case, male fitness influencers. Constant exposure to idealized images can exacerbate this tendency, leading individuals to engage in upward social comparisons, where they perceive themselves as falling short. Such comparisons can have detrimental effects on self-esteem and body image, contributing to feelings of dissatisfaction.

Appearance vs. Health-Based Exercise Motivation: Exercise motivation can be categorized into appearance-based and health-based motivations. The former refers to the desire to exercise primarily for aesthetic reasons, such as achieving a certain body shape or size. The latter involves exercising to enhance physical health, improve fitness levels, or reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Distinguishing between these motivations is crucial, as they reflect different underlying goals and psychological mechanisms. While societal pressures and ideals may drive appearance-based motivation, health-based motivation is rooted in intrinsic factors related to well-being and longevity.

Research Study Overview

The study involved 118 Australian men aged 17 to 27 who actively used Instagram. This demographic was selected to explore the impact of #fitspiration content on young male users of the platform, based on the concept that this population is particularly susceptible to societal body image pressures.

Several measures were employed to assess various aspects related to body image and exercise motivation:

• Frequency of Viewing Fitspiration Posts: Participants reported how often they viewed fitspiration content, providing insights into their exposure to idealized body images.
• Internalization of the Muscular Ideal: This measure gauged the extent to which participants internalized societal standards of muscularity as personal ideals.
• Appearance Comparison Tendency: Participants indicated the frequency with which they compared their appearance to others, capturing tendencies towards social comparison.
• Body Satisfaction: Participants rated their satisfaction with various aspects of their bodies, including muscularity, weight, and overall appearance.
• Exercise Motivation: Both appearance-based and health-based motivations for exercise were assessed to discern participants’ reasons for engaging in physical activity.

Participants completed self-report questionnaires detailing their Instagram usage habits and frequency of exposure to fitspiration content. They reported how often they viewed hashtags associated with fitspiration, allowing researchers to measure their engagement with the content. Additionally, participants completed scales to assess appearance comparison tendencies, internalization of the muscular ideal, exercise motivation, and body satisfaction.

Key Findings

Previous research has extensively explored fitspiration’s impact on women, revealing mixed outcomes that lean towards negativity. While fitspiration content has been associated with increased exercise motivation and adherence to fitness goals, it has also been linked to negative outcomes, such as heightened body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors. Sometimes fitspiration can become an unhealthy obsession with goals that might not be feasible for several reasons, such as genetics or time constraints.

Contrary to expectations, the current study found no direct association between viewing fitspiration content and men’s body satisfaction or exercise motivations, whether appearance-based or health-based. This suggests that, unlike in women, where the effects have been observed to be particularly negative, fitspiration content may not have a significant impact on men’s perceptions of their bodies or their reasons for engaging in exercise.

Muscular-Ideal Internalization and Appearance Comparisons

Despite the lack of direct association with fitspiration content, the study revealed indirect effects on body satisfaction and exercise motivation in men. Viewing fitspiration posts can indirectly lead to lower body satisfaction and health-based exercise motivation through increased internalization of the muscular ideal and appearance comparisons. Furthermore, greater internalization of the muscular ideal was found to directly increase appearance-based exercise motivation.

This implies that the male response to fitspiration is often to take on a societally typical view of male fitness, followed by exercising to achieve the ‘ideal’ muscular male physique, rather than for health reasons.

The Complex Relationships Between Fitspiration and True Fitness

In this study, ‘indirect associations’ refer to the relationship between viewing fitspiration content and men’s body satisfaction and exercise motivation. Unlike direct associations where one variable directly influences another, indirect associations involve a chain of effects.

It’s essential to differentiate between correlation and causality in interpreting the study’s results. While the study demonstrates correlations between fitspiration viewing and body satisfaction, it cannot establish causality. In other words, while there may be a relationship between viewing fitspiration content and body satisfaction, the study could not definitively conclude that fitspiration causes changes in body satisfaction.

Comparison to Women’s Studies

Comparing the findings to previous studies on women’s reactions to fitspiration content reveals interesting parallels. Despite the historical focus on women and the negative impact of typical body standards on them, similar internalization mechanisms of body ideals and appearance comparisons influence men’s body satisfaction and exercise motivations. This suggests that fitspiration content may have comparable effects on both genders, underscoring the need for gender-inclusive research.

Positive vs Negative Impacts of Social Media Use

Fitspiration content on social media platforms like Instagram can both positively and negatively impact individual well-being. While it aims to promote fitness and health, fitspiration may inadvertently emphasize appearance over health, potentially leading to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors.

Conclusion

Contrary to expectations, Fatt, Fardouly, and Rapee’s study found no direct association between viewing fitspiration content and men’s body satisfaction or exercise motivations. However, indirect effects were observed, with fitspiration content occasionally leading to internalization of the muscular ideal and appearance comparisons.

Individuals can critically evaluate the content they consume on social media to mitigate potential negative impacts on their body image and well-being. People work out for different goals, but it’s important to be aware of them when making lifestyle changes. Join us in our next article where we’ll compare how fitness influencers differentially affect men and women.

References

Fatt, S. J., Fardouly, J., & Rapee, R. M. (2019). #malefitspo: Links between viewing fitspiration posts, muscular-ideal internalisation, appearance comparisons, body satisfaction, and exercise motivation in men. New Media & Society, 21(6), 1311–1325. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818821064