The Muscular Ideal: Psychological, Social, and Medical Perspectives - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591477921 ISBN 13: 9781591477921

Publisher: Amer Psychological Assn, 2007

Synopsis

The muscular ideal is increasingly becoming the preferred body type for men, adolescent boys and even some women. Why is this body type the new ideal, and how did it develop? Why are some people driven to achieve heightened muscularity, and how do they do it? What risks to physical and mental health are involved when extreme behaviors are undertaken in the pursuit of the muscular ideal? This edited book draws on new research to provide an overview of the muscular ideal, including historical and present socioeconomic trends, assessment and measurement issues, and clinical presentation of disorders such as muscle dysmorphia. Chapters also cover related issues such as steroid use, repeated cosmetic surgery, and prevention issues. The target audience includes sport and health psychologists, clinical and counseling psychologists, and graduate students in psychology, sociology, gender roles, and health and sport science courses.

About this title

About the Author:

J. Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology in the department of psychology at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. He has worked in the area of body image and eating disorders for 25 years, with current interests in the areas of measurement, adolescent risk factors, media influences, and body image issues in diverse samples.

Guy Cafri, M.A. is a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He received a B.A. in psychology and philosophy from Macalester college and his M.A. from the University of South Florida. He has published extensively in the area of body image, particularly as it relates to the pursuit of muscularity, but other areas include thin-ideal internalization and the relationship between tanning motives and skin cancer risk.

About this edition

• Publisher: Amer Psychological Assn
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1591477921
• ISBN 13: 9781591477921
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 265
• Editor: Thompson J. Kevin, Cafri Guy