The Adonis Complex

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The Adonis Complex
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Adonis Complex

• Extreme body image concerns are no longer
  confined to women.
• There is a growing trend of body image
  dissatisfaction and distortion among males.

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Adonis Complex

• A growing number of boys and men are endangering
  their health by engaging in excessive exercise,
  binging and purging rituals, steroid abuse, and
  overuse of nutritional and dietary supplements in
  an attempt to alter their appearance.

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Muscle Dysmorphia

• Signs and symptoms
• Preoccupation with the idea that he is not
  sufficiently lean and muscular.
• Frequent weighing
• Constant checking of appearance in
  mirrors/windows
• Wearing clothing to either hide lack of muscle,
  or to accentuate muscularity

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Muscle Dysmorphia

• Impairment of social, occupational, or personal
  relationships
• Gives up important social, occupational, or
  recreational activities because of compulsive
  need to maintain exercise and dietary regimen
• Obsessively anxious about appearance when
  interacting with others
• Continuation of exercise, diet, or use of
  performance-enhancing drugs/supplements despite
  knowledge of adverse physical and/or
  psychological consequences

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Muscle Dysmorphia

• Engages in
• excessive exercise,
• demonstrates preoccupation with food, follows
  strict dietary regimens
• (e.g., avoiding specific foods or groups of
  foods, maintaining excessively low-fat or
  high-protein diets),
• or abuses steroids and/or dietary supplements,
• particularly those aimed at increasing body size
  (e.g., creatine, HMB, DHEA, Androstendione)
  and/or decreasing body fat (e.g., ephedra, Ma
  Huang, Guarana).

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Signs and Symptoms

• Behavioral
• Preoccupation with food and calories
• Criticism of body weight, composition, or shape
• Frequent mood swings
• Depression
• Social withdrawal/isolation
• Relentless/Excessive exercise

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Signs and Symptoms

• Behavioral
• Avoiding food-related social activities
• Frequent bathroom visits after eating
• Strict dieting followed by eating binges
• Expressions of extreme guilt after eating
• Excessive fear of becoming fat
• Excessive laxative, diuretic, diet pill, and/or
  weight loss supplement use

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Signs and Symptoms

• Behavioral
• Secretly eating or stealing food
• Consumption of large amounts of food not
  consistent with the athletes weight.
• Physiological
• Large and/or rapid weight loss
• Frequent musculoskeletal injuries (particularly
  stress fractures)

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Signs and Symptoms

• Physiological
• Delayed/prolonged wound and/or injury healing
• Cold intolerance
• Anemia
• Chronic fatigue
• Decrease sex drive
• Frequent sore throats

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Signs and Symptoms

• Physiological
• Frequent bloodshot and/or swollen eyes
• Callused fingers
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Frequent gastrointestinal problems
• Tooth erosion, excessive dental carries

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Discussion

• This problem is going unrecognized.
• Men and boys are not receiving the treatment they
  need.