The perfect body image for men is becoming a dangerous standard

Sometimes men defer harder conversations to women and publicly, uncomfortable discourse often follows the same trajectory.

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Body image, unrealistic standards, the pressure to look a certain way and the decimation of self-worth that comes has typically been associated with women. However, a man staring at the mirror is not unusual. They also measure themselves against an ideal where the goalposts move, sometimes a lot.

Body inclusivity largely ignored men

Psychologist Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys said the increase in male body dissatisfaction has not happened in isolation. It has grown in the background largely unnoticed, while attention remained focused elsewhere.

“In previous years, the evolution of the supermodel into the ’90s and all of the glossy fashion magazines that portrayed women’s beauty as being a certain way, I think really gained a lot of traction,” he said. “But it largely ignored men.”

The exposure that women, body dissatisfaction and the portrayal of their physiques received led to important conversations around body positivity for women, he said.

“Broader acceptance of different body types began to take hold. Social media amplified those voices, challenging narrow definitions of beauty and pushing back against unrealistic expectations. At the same time, something else was taking shape,” Redelinghuys said.

Men were left behind and in the background, he said, what was happening was that the fashion industry and social media was also building a perfect or desirable look for men.

Male identity

The image of a perfect man, the Adonis of the 21st century, has become increasingly defined. It is lean, muscular, symmetrical, controlled, almost stoic in physical sculpture and it comes with a particular presence and attitude, often described online as dominant, disciplined and emotionally contained.

It is not simply about appearance. Research has shown that it is also about male identity.

The influence of social media cannot be separated from this trend. Platforms reward visibility, transformation and extremes. Images are filtered, curated and repeated until they begin to feel like a baseline rather than an exception.

The result is a constant comparison loop, where men measure themselves not only against each other, but against an algorithmically amplified version of masculinity.

Giga Chad is a real trend. Picture iStock

Redelinghuys called it the emergence of the Giga Chad archetype, a hyper-masculine ideal that blends physical perfection with a very specific personality type.

“There is this trend on social media now towards being more buff, having a very chiselled jawline, having a very particular type of personality that goes with that,” he said.  

Young people are chasing this ideal

The pressure to meet that standard is reaching men earlier than ever before, he said. Teenagers and young adults are not only aware of the ideal, but they are also actively pursuing it. What begins as gym culture or self-improvement can, in some cases, change into something more rigid and obsessive.

“And people are chasing this ideal at a younger and younger age,” Redelinghuys said.

The methods used to achieve that look are also changing. It’s not just about gyming and sweating until the body responds. Cosmetic procedures that were once considered extreme or niche have become increasingly normalised.

“If you look at the availability of cosmetic procedures, even more conservative procedures like Botox and fillers, men are reaching for these,” he said. “Others go to extremes. A lot of people are pursuing things like untested peptides, steroids, weight loss drugs and in certain cases even colluding with health care professionals to obtain those types of looks.”

Botox is as much a guy thing these days. Picture iStock

This eternal pursuit of the perfect aesthetic can impact mental wellness.

“It can become all-consuming and end up shaping behaviour, identity and self-worth in ways that are not always visible from the outside,” Redelinghuys said.

It can become psychologically destructive.

“The language around self-improvement has also blurred the line between health and obsession. Discipline, routine and fitness are widely encouraged, but the same behaviours can take on a different meaning when driven by anxiety, comparison or the fear of not measuring up,” he said.

“Men are not immune to body dysmorphia. They are simply less likely to name it.”

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