Aestheticization of health and muscle dysmorphia: social conceptions of the body

Authors

  • Andréa Maria Pires Azevedo Universidade Federal da Paraíba
  • Iraquitan de Oliveira Caminha UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DA PARAÍBA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5585/conssaude.v10i3.2708

Keywords:

Binge-Eating Disorder, Body image, Esthetics, Health, Strength training.

Abstract

Introduction: Obsession with achieving an ideal of beauty similar to what is disseminated by the media leads fitness enthusiasts to use extreme practices in order to attain an aesthetically beautiful body. Objective: To investigate the perceptions and social uses of the body, as well as the motivations of individuals with Muscle Dysmophia (MD) in their practice of strength training. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, interpretive study with a qualitative and quantitative approach was conducted. Results: Individuals with a compulsion to practice strength training view themselves based on meanings and values of body to acquire social acceptance, leading to the contrasts between health and beauty in their self-view. The motivation for the compulsive practice of strength training is one’s obsession for a muscular body image and fear of the loss of muscle mass. Conclusion: There is, in the contemporary society, a hyper-investment in the body given a compulsion for achieving a muscular body, associated to signs and symptoms of DM and to the aestheticization of health.

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Author Biographies

Andréa Maria Pires Azevedo, Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Mestre em Educação Física pelo Programa Associado de Pós-graduação em Educação Física UPE/UFPB. Laboratório de Estudo e Pesquisa em Lazer, Esporte, Corpo e Sociedade.

Iraquitan de Oliveira Caminha, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DA PARAÍBA

Doutor em Filosofia pelo Universite Catholique de Louvain, Bélgica. Professor-pesquisador do Departamento de Educação Física da UFPB e, dos Programas de Pós-Graduação em Filosofia da UFPB e em Educação Física UPE/UFPB.

Published

2011-09-30

How to Cite

1.
Azevedo AMP, Caminha I de O. Aestheticization of health and muscle dysmorphia: social conceptions of the body. Cons. Saúde [Internet]. 2011 Sep. 30 [cited 2024 Jul. 16];10(3):530-8. Available from: https://periodicos.uninove.br/saude/article/view/2708

Issue

Section

Applied Sciences