! Yes They're Fake ! Book & Publication Reviews - The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession

The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession by Harrison G. Pope Jr., MD; Katharine A. Phillips, MD; Roberto Olivardia, PhD

I read this book to help to better understand body dysmorphic disorder. Although I am not a licensed psychologist I do have experience in interviewing persons with image disorders, or those who teeter at the threshold while battling daily with low self esteem poor body image. There is an amazing number of people who are unhappy with their bodies - unfortunately some of these may never be comfortable with their body image.

This book covers the male aspect of body dysmorphic disorder ranging from obsessive weightlifting to extreme dieting or supplementation. Males are no different from females in their desire to look their best. Due to the majority of porn targeted at men - for years it was thought image disorders were a thing only women were plagued by. Wanting to look like Barbie or a centerfold seemed common for women. Yet for men, seemed to detract from their masculinity. This book helps show the side of the coin where it isn't how you FEEL about your masculinity that questions it somehow - but how you LOOK. Many men feel that if their biceps are not hard as steel or their middles cut like a diamond, they somehow do not measure up. Welcome to the world of what psychologists call the "Adonis Complex" hence the book's name.

I have come across so many men who feel they must look their best no matter what and CONSTANTLY worry what they eat or how they look and still walk around in sweats without showing an inch of abdominal flesh. Many aren't hitting the gym for strength or jogging for great distances in the heat for cardiovascular health - they are striving to become an ideal which is unattainable.

The Adonis Complex covers symptoms to look out for and offers understanding to the many men who are determined to have the body of a Roman God and will do almost anything to get there. A definite read if you a male and in need of answers or have concerns which need to be quelled. Male body dysmorphia is sometimes compared to anorexia nervosa and can be equally harmful. Even if you do not feel that you have an image disorder, if you are active in the gym and are concerned with "ideal" body fat percentages perhaps you could look upon this book to help understand those you may come into contact with at your gym. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to look our best or feeling better when we do look tanned and tone - putting ourselves into harms way or letting this desire take over our social life is unhealthy and should be addressed.

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