White 1

Nathan White
Mrs. Fielding
WRTC 103
2/8/18
Male Body Image Issue Becoming More Common

Have you ever been to a movie that stars an actor or actress with an almost unreal body

and you come out of the theater and say to yourself, "Boy, I wish I had a movie star body like

that?" It has been well documented that females have, in some cases, quite significant body

image issues. Recently, however, trends have changed course. Author Jamie Santa Cruz, in her

article "Body-Image Pressure Increasingly Affects Boys" published in 2014 in The Atlantic,

argues that males have been showing more and more signs of falling victim to body image issues

and the mental illnesses that sometimes follow. Cruz begins by building a highly effective

argument that cites many doctors and psychologists who study the issue extensively, continues

by providing logical inferences based on logical information, and concludes by evoking emotion

in her audience by describing the symptoms seen in people with this body image issue.

In her article, Cruz begins by debunking the recent precedent that this type of issue is

only seen in females. Then she proceeds to rattle off multiple statistics that doctors and other

medical professionals have researched. Basing her argument off these studies, she comes up with

logical conclusions as to why this recent spike in male body image has occurred; she proposes

that the media portrayal of masculinity has a big chunk of the blame. Specific ways that males

exhibit this issue are then brought up, including a spike in the use of steroids and other muscle-

enhancing substances; this is then paralleled with possible solutions to the problem, and ways to

spread awareness.
 White 2

Cruz establishes very strong ethos right off the bat by incorporating quotes from medical

professionals such as Dr. Alison Field, who is an associate professor of pediatrics at Boston

Children's Hospital and Dr. Raymond Lemberg, who is a clinical based psychologist and an

expert on male eating disorders. Along with individuals who are experts on the subject, she also

cites a "2014 national sample of males" from JAMA Pediatrics, which is a peer-reviewed

medical journal (Cruz 1st paragraph). The audience can tell that Cruz did plenty of research on

the subject since she cites highly successful medical professionals and journals. The placement

of these sources is very important as well; embedding them in the very beginning of her article

establishes her credibility right away, and helps get her argument off the ground. One more way

Cruz appeals to ethos is that she acknowledges the precedent that our culture typically only

thinks about body image issues in females, but it truly is in males now too.

Going hand in hand with her ethos appeals, Cruz cites many facts and factual based

opinions from her educated sources. She says that, based on JAMA Pediatrics' research, "nearly

18 percent of boys are concerned with their weight and physique" which in turn can "lead to

depression and high risk behaviors" (1st paragraph). To further clarify her argument, she

mentions that “Of the boys who were highly concerned with their weight, about half were

worried about gaining muscle,” as opposed to losing weight. Not only does she discuss the issue

itself, but the ways these males go about trying to achieve their ideal body image. Based on a

2012 study of adolescents: “more than a third reported downing protein powders or shakes in an

effort to boost muscularity; in addition, 6 percent admitted to using illegal steroids” (9th

paragraph). Cruz also does an excellent job arguing that the media plays a major role in

cementing this “ideal” male body image into people’s minds: “Movies and magazines

increasingly display bare-chested men with impossibly chiseled physiques and six-pack abs” (6th
 White 3

paragraph). Not only does Cruz cite very relevant statistics, she also makes logical inferences

based on this information. The analysis of these statistics and quotes is essential in creating her

argument because the audience can tell she is deriving her stance on the issue from credible

sources.

Cruz uses appeals to pathos in two distinct spots; at the very beginning of her article, and at

the conclusion. At the beginning, she is describing the body image issue and then she mentions

that those with this issue are also prone to being depressed, which could make some readers

sympathetic and want to help. She also states that being “concerned enough about your weight to

make healthy decisions is good”, however, the males in this article are “so concerned that they’re

willing to do whatever is takes—healthy or unhealthy—to achieve this desired physique” (2nd

paragraph). The fact that some males knowingly do unhealthy things to themselves for this “ideal

body” is astounding and sad. The previously mentioned Dr. Lemberg, when asked about the

suspected reasons for this trend, had this to say about the media’s role: “Regular men’s bodies

just aren’t good enough anymore” (6th paragraph). Dr. Lemberg's statement is very intriguing

because it truly gets to the root of the problem by showing us what these males are thinking

about themselves; like they are not good enough. Towards the end of her article, Cruz lists the

long term consequences of steroid use, which include depression and suicidal tendencies.

Emotions are running high after this statement, as the tragedy and sorrowfulness that is linked to

the symptoms is ever-clear. Cruz ends her article by changing the tone from sad and sympathetic

to energetic and urging people to spread the word about the problem. This is a very effective

strategy, as she knows people will want to help based on the great deal of emotional appeal

expressed in the latter part of the article.

 White 4

In conclusion, Cruz provides a strong argument from the beginning, which only becomes

more effective as the article goes on. She has debunked the stereotype that body image only exist

for females by proving her credibility, citing many important statistics and quotes, and appealing

to emotion when needed. The argument was sustained throughout the entire article, and will

change the opinions of most who read it.

 White 5

Works Cited

Boston Children's Hospital. Home Page. http://www.childrenshospital.org

Santa Cruz, Jamie. "Body-Image Pressure Increasingly Affects Boys." The Atlantic, 10

Mar. 2015, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/body-imagepressure-

increasingly-affects-boys/283897/

The JAMA Network: JAMA Pediatrics. Home Page. Renamed in

2013, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics
White 6