Muscle dysmorphia in male weightlifters: A case-control study

Objective: Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder in which individuals develop a pathological preoccupation with their muscularity. Method: The authors interviewed 24 men with muscle dysmorphia and 30 normal comparison weightlifters, recruited from gymnasiums in the Boston area, us ing a battery of demographic, psychiatric, and physical measures. Results: The men with muscle dysmorphia differed significantly from the nor mal comparison weightlifters on numerous measures, including body dissatisf action, eating attitudes, prevalence of anabolic steroid use, and lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. The men with musc le dysmorphia frequently described shame, embarrassment, and impairment of social and occupational functioning in association with their condition. By contrast, normal weightlifters displayed little pathology. Indeed, in an a posteriori analysis, the normal weightlifters proved closely comparable to a group of male college students recruited as a normal comparison group in an earlier study. Conclusions: Muscle dysmorphia appears to be a valid diagnostic entity, pos sibly related to a larger group of disorders, and is associated with striki ng and stereotypical features. Men with muscle dysmorphia differ sharply fr om normal weightlifters, most of whom display little psychopathology. Furth er research is necessary to characterize the nosology and potential treatme nt of this syndrome.