Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

Men’s hidden guilt and shame about body fat can fuel gym attendance, study finds

by University of Lincoln
September 10, 2016
in Social Psychology
(Photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet)

(Photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet)

[Subscribe to PsyPost Premium to enjoy an ad-free experience! Click here to sign up.]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Men’s hidden fears about body fat are fuelling gym attendance motivated by feelings of guilt and shame rather than a desire to build muscle, new research has shown.

Psychology researchers from the UK and Australia discovered that while male attitudes towards muscle or body mass index (BMI) did not predict how frequently they would attend the gym, their perceptions of body fat did.

The researchers found that men worried about body fat were more likely than others to undertake spontaneous, unplanned work-outs – and warned that these ‘sporadic’ exercise patterns tend to be difficult to sustain over time.

The findings raise questions over the effect portrayals of the ‘ideal body’ online and in the media have on healthy exercise behaviours in an era of ‘selfies’. This has important real-life implications for health and exercise professionals and their intervention programmes, the researchers suggest.

The study is the first of its kind to examine men’s body attitudes alongside both their conscious (explicit) and non-conscious (implicit) motivations for attending the gym. The findings could help health and fitness professionals improve gym attendance in the long-term by focusing on pro-active goal-setting and personal autonomy, rather than body image.

The study was carried out by Dr David Keatley from the School of Psychology at the University of Lincoln, UK, and Kim Caudwell from Curtin University, Australia.

Dr Keatley, a specialist in the study of complex patterns of behaviour and motivation, said: “Coaches, trainers, and even ‘gym buddies’ need to be aware of individuals’ motivations and reasons for attending a gym. Spontaneous gym goers are more likely to be motivated by guilt, shame or pressure, so it’s important to turn this around and place a focus on positive feelings of achievement and pride, fostering a long-term healthier behaviour change.

“Anyone can be affected by what they see online, the social cues images can give, and the popular conceptions of an ‘ideal body image’. With the recent growth of ‘selfies’ and the return of muscle-bound Hollywood hero icons like Vin Diesel and Hugh Jackman, there’s a real risk that males may be more influenced to attend the gym more regularly and workout to a point where it becomes dangerous or detracts from their wellbeing.

“This study is important in showing that whilst they may be more unlikely to admit it, body dissatisfaction and dysmorphia can and do affect males as well as females, and therefore should be investigated fully.”

To assess their motivations for exercising, 100 men completed a self-report questionnaire and a second test which evaluated their non-conscious motivation by measuring how long it took them to associate particular words with themselves.

All participants had a slightly elevated BMI and said they work out for around an hour, two or three times a week. Nearly 60 per cent of the men listed health and fitness as their primary reason for attending a gym or fitness activity. Just 16 per cent labelled appearance or amateur body building as their motivation, and eight per cent said training or competing was their main focus.

Participants responded to a series of statements about body image, for example “seeing my reflection makes me feel bad about my body fat and muscularity”. They also evaluated a series of statements about their motivation, such as “I feel under pressure to exercise or work out regularly from people I know well”. These were scored on a scale from one to four, with one being not very true and four being very true.

To examine hidden, non-conscious motivations, the researchers also asked participants to complete an Implicit Association Test (IAT), a task designed to assess automatic associations. It paired positive and negative feelings about exercising, such as ‘spontaneous’ and ‘willing’ or ‘restricted’ and ‘forced’, with words relating to the self and others, such as ‘me’ and ‘mine’ or ‘they’ and ‘theirs’.

The study is published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePinSend
Previous Post

Study suggests bilinguals have an improved attentional control

Next Post

Activity of Huntington’s disease gene curbed for 6 months in mice

STAY CONNECTED

Find these awesome psychology shirts and more at the PsyPost Store!

TRENDING

New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

Engaging in LGBQ activism is associated with positive psychological functioning among sexual minorities

People with social anxiety more likely to become overdependent on conversational artificial intelligence agents

Breathing exercises show potential in modulating Alzheimer’s biomarkers, study finds

Diversity of the gut microbiota is associated with the severity of depression

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

RECENT

Neuroscience research sheds light on how LSDĀ alters the brain’s “gatekeeper”

New study on orienteering suggests cognitive flexibility can be developed through sports training

Contrary to prior research, Brazilian study finds economic scarcity is not linked to racial perception

Individuals prompted to experience gratitude and indebtedness are more likely to behave in prosocial ways

Engaging in LGBQ activism is associated with positive psychological functioning among sexual minorities

Vegans are perceived as less suitable for jobs stereotypically associated with masculinity, study finds

People with social anxiety more likely to become overdependent on conversational artificial intelligence agents

New study highlights several key predictors of gratitude to God

Currently Playing

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

New psychology research reveals the “bullshit blind spot”

Cognitive Science
Higher prenatal testosterone exposure is linked to Machiavellianism and psychopathy, study suggests

Higher prenatal testosterone exposure is linked to Machiavellianism and psychopathy, study suggests

Dark Triad
New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

New study identifies perceived mattering as a core psychological component of happy marriages

Relationships and Sexual Health
Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Childhood adversity associated with increased emotional response to others’ suffering in adulthood

Mental Health
New study sheds light on cognitive mechanisms linked to hypnosis

Chronic intake of refined carbohydrates between meals is associated with decreased cognitive performance, study finds

Cognitive Science
Mindfulness might hinder prosocial behavior among individuals with high intelligence

Mindfulness might hinder prosocial behavior among individuals with high intelligence

Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.