The Evolving Nature of Weight Dissatisfaction and Eating Behaviors Among Men: Secular Trends Among College Men Across Four Decades

Research supports increasing cultural pressures for leanness among young men; however, few studies have examined whether weight dissatisfaction or efforts to alter weight have become more prevalent for men over time. The present study evaluated secular trends in weight dissatisfaction and related behaviors among college-age men across 4 decades; 1,097 men completed surveys while they were in college in 1982 (n _ 276), 1992, (n _ 233), 2002 (n _ 241), and 2012 (n _ 347). In 1982, men with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25 kg/m2 were more likely to describe themselves as being overweight compared with men in all other cohorts, whereas in 1992, 2002, and 2012, men with a BMI between 18.5 and 25 kg/m2 were more likely to describe themselves as underweight compared with men in all other cohorts. Overall, 57–62% of men reported weight dissatisfaction, although there were no significant differences in the proportion of men wanting to lose, maintain, or gain weight across cohorts. There was no significant difference in the amount of weight gain desired across cohorts despite increasing BMI from 1982 to subsequent cohorts; however, desired BMI and endorsement of fad diets differed across cohorts, with higher desired BMI in 1992 and 2002 and high-protein diets being the most common in 2012. These results suggest that weight dissatisfaction has remained substantial and relatively stable among young men over time. Trends relating to weight perception, dieting, and exercise are consistent with anincreasing focus on leanness and muscularity for men in recent years.