Rachel Seeley shares consumer insights into body image and stigma, and how it can prevent men from seeking help for weight control.
Health Consumers’ Council is working with the WA Department of Health and the WA Primary Health Alliance on implementing the WA Healthy Weight Action Plan 2019-2024.
A key consideration of the Action Plan is moving towards a framework of collective responsibility to address overweight and obesity, by recognising other contributing factors such as the social determinants of health and the obesogenic environment. With this shift in focus, we can also begin to move away from harmful stigma and weight bias.
While body image issues are often thought of as mostly affecting women, this is far from true. According to Butterfly Foundation, the national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, evidence suggests eating disorders in people identifying as male are increasing.
WA organisation MAN UP aims to redefine the phrase ‘Man Up’ and turn it into a reminder that it is OK to be vulnerable, encouraging conversation, support, and accountability around mental health and other issues faced by young men. One of these concerns is body image. Co-founder Gareth Shanthikumar says “men, just like everyone else, experience challenges when it comes to their weight” although these may manifest in different ways.
According to the Western Australian Men’s Health and Wellbeing Policy, more than 77% of WA males are overweight. However, Mr Shanthikumar says there is still a large disconnect between how men are portrayed in media and the lived experience of many men, creating unrealistic expectations around appearances.
“As men, we’ve been conditioned to believe that to be a real man, we have to look a certain way, leaving us to feel worthless when we don’t.”
Mr Shanthikumar believed this was an issue affecting many men, although to different degrees, “leading to body dysmorphia and unhealthy eating habits” in some.
“It’s true that men may not express these concerns so publicly, but these are thoughts that have crossed our minds at some point. Placing any sort of self-validation on our physical image can be dangerous and must be spoken about more often.
“A man is not someone sculpted into a Greek god, but rather someone who is confident in their body, and continuously working towards being the healthiest version of themselves.”
In our recent Weighing in on Weight Talk survey, we asked about experiences talking to health professionals about weight and heard from male participants about the impact of stigma in seeking support.
“The framing always feels like I’m to blame for my weight, regardless of how I’ve spent most of my life trying to lose it, so I’ve actively been discouraged to seek out any help,” said one participant.
“[I’m] embarrassed to raise the issue as it raises prospects of being stigmatised,” said another.
A 2020 UK study exploring why men are less likely to engage with weight loss services than women identified one common theme of ‘incompatibility of existing services for men’. The findings suggested “the gender imbalance and attitudes towards existing weight loss services deterred men from engaging with or continuously attending sessions. This imbalance resulted in feelings of self-consciousness, shame and a perceived stigma for men using weight loss services. These experiences highlighted the importance of providing services which align with men’s preferences to promote engagement.”
Our survey asked if weight had ever been brought up at a routine appointment and one male respondent said, “It’s always felt like, ‘You could be healthier if it wasn’t for your weight.’ It feels demeaning and disrespectful, especially when [I’m there for] something like a cold or an injury unrelated to my weight.”
When we asked what a health professional could do, or should avoid doing, when talking about weight, the survey responses spoke to the need to avoid generalisations, stereotypes and blame.
“Please don’t assume we are stupid or lazy or unwilling to try. We do as we are told by professionals and continue to get sicker. It’s not our fault especially if we are given out-of-date advice.”
The men who participated in the survey echoed the responses we’ve heard from all demographics during our work on this project: consider the needs of the individual and provide resources and support for their specific circumstances.
“Have a conversation with the patient about their weight and health issues and work with them, not just immediately go to ‘you need to eat right and exercise more’,” said one participant. Others suggested, “Use empathy. Listen to the person” and “try and find solutions that work for the individual.”
ED: Rachel Seeley is part of the Healthy Weight Action Plan project team at Health Consumers’ Council.