Product Description

In the first book to address a health crisis that is striking men of all ages, three national experts present a frank and explosive look at what men really think and feel about their bodies, offering hope to millions who are suffering in silence.

More than ever, men are struggling with the same enormous pressure to achieve physical perfection that women have dealt with for centuries. From compulsive weightlifting to steroid use, from hair plugs to cosmetic surgery, growing numbers of men are taking the quest for perfect muscles, skin, and hair too far, crossing the line from normal interest to pathological obsession. This new obsession with appearance, known as the Adonis Complex, afflicts boys and men of all ages and from all walks of life. In its more severe forms, the Adonis Complex poses a health threat that is as insidious and deadly as eating disorders are for women and girls. But this groundbreaking book offers hope and help for the men caught in the oppressive cycle of body obsession.

Harrison Pope, Katharine Phillips, and Roberto Olivardia reveal the often hidden signs and symptoms of the Adonis Complex.

--Weightlifting and exercise compulsions: Their quest for a more muscular body can become so single-minded that men often sacrifice relationships and career goals and may even stunt their emotional and physical development.

--Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Unlike healthy men, those with body image problems have no idea how they really look -- and obsessively try to fix flaws that others don't notice. Boys as young as six or eight report body dissatisfaction, and as a result many suffer loss of self-esteem or depression.

--Eating disorders: Several million men have suffered from compulsive binge eating or from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Countless others with milder forms of eating disorders diet and worry about being fat even when they actually look just fine.

--Steroid abuse: Trying to achieve increasingly unrealistic physical ideals, more than a million men -- including a large number of teenagers -- are abusing steroids. Millions more are buying billions of dollars' worth of "muscle-building" food supplements and diet aids.

Creating a down-to-earth program for change, the authors introduce two original diagnostic tools. The first, a simple thirteen-question quiz, helps readers identify the extent of their body image concerns. The second, the Body Image Test, helps readers learn how they perceive their bodies and how they think others see them. Using the compelling and insightful stories of many boys and men, the authors address a wide range of topics, from coping with sex and intimacy problems and difficulties at work, to low self-esteem and shame. They also explain how to seek medication treatment and specialized forms of therapy for more extreme cases. With this book, men suffering from the Adonis Complex will have the power to change their lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #397636 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From Amazon.com
You see them everywhere. With their bulging arms and deltoids and pecs, not to mention their rippling abdominal muscles, they appear on magazine covers, in underwear ads, in action movies. And American men have noticed them; after a generation of being bombarded by images of idealized male physiques, men are growing increasingly insecure about their own appearance.

The authors have studied everything from bodybuilders to Playgirl centerfolds and concluded that the images presented to men and women have gotten steadily more muscular. As a result of this bombardment of pumped-up male imagery, American men have been developing eating disorders, working out to the point of obsession, and taking steroids. None of this is for health or sports performance but rather to develop a physique that matches those seen on the cover of Muscle & Fitness or in the next squat rack over.

Another consequence is a condition the authors call "muscle dysmorphia," also known as "reverse anorexia" or just "bigorexia." In this, men who are large and muscular look in the mirror and see someone who is puny and frail. So they pump iron and eat and take steroids and swell to ever-larger proportions, while being too ashamed of their bodies to take off their sweatshirts at the beach.

The authors postulate that all this has to do with the rising power of women in society. To back this up, they produce timelines showing how women's-rights milestones correlate with increasing images of men as sex objects.

What's the solution? The authors list some Web sites to help men suffering from the Adonis Complex to find therapists familiar with the problem. Sometimes antidepressants can work. But for most people, the answer is to understand that the images of perfect male physiques they see are unattainable, and that no one really expects them to look like that anyway. --Lou Schuler

From Publishers Weekly
The impossible ideal of the Body Beautiful induces feelings of inadequacy not only among women and girls, claim the authors of this book, but, increasingly, among men and boys. Drawing upon their own clinical work, new studies and cultural observations, the authors--Pope and Olivardia teach at Harvard medical school, and Phillips at Brown University--make a compelling argument that growing numbers of males are exhibiting compulsive behaviors, chronic depressions and eating disorders, and are engaging in the use of dangerous steroids and "supplements." Although they ignore the nearly century-old popularity of Charles Atlas-like muscle-building "courses," the authors use a broad range of examples--including comparisons of the physiques of bodybuilders in the 1960s and the 1990s, a look at the evolution of the G.I. Joe doll's bulk and an examination of the nearly unobtainable body ideal that prevails among Chippendale dancers and Calvin Klein models--to make the convincing case that many men resort to dire actions to assuage their feelings of inadequacy. They bolster their claim with numerous interviews with men and a survey of the existing medical and psychological literature, and include tests by which readers can ascertain if they have an eating disorder or suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder. While some readers might take exception to the authors' assertion about the prevalence of the "Adonis complex," their book offers a provocative look at what has been, until now, a largely unexplored subject. Agent, Todd Schuster. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In the last 20 years, increasing numbers of men and boys have become obsessed with obtaining the perfect body exemplified by body builders, male models, and professional wrestlers. This excessive concern with appearance can lead to compulsive exercise, steroid abuse, eating disorders, and, in extreme cases, body dysmorphic disorder, a serious psychiatric condition. Acknowledging that few men will admit these preoccupations, the authors of these two books seek to bring these issues to a wider audience and to promote more realistic goals for male physique and fitness. Written in a popular, almost sensational style, The Adonis Complex discusses and summarizes research coordinated by Harvard researchers Pope (psychiatry) and Robert Olivardia (psychology) and Katharine A. Phillips (psychiatry, Brown Univ.; The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder). Pope and his associates first document changes in advertisements, Playgirl centerfolds, and toys such as G.I. Joe to demonstrate how the steroid-hyped male torso became an ideal beyond the capability of most men. They then report on results of a computerized body image test given to male college students that showed, across cultures, a dissatisfaction with physical appearance and a tendency to misjudge the physique desirable to the opposite sex. Using case studies and self-tests, the team goes on to describe and outline treatment for specific problems and dispel myths about weight and steroid use. Separate chapters address concerns for boys, gays, lovers, and friends... [R]ecommended for public library collections.
Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L., CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A Groundbreaking Book
The Adonis Complex is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on a mostly unrecognized problem. In response to a previous comment, Harrison Pope is not just a "bookworm academic"--he is writing from personal experience, having lifted weights for the last 30 years. These authors are all experts and leaders in their field. They have developed some groundbreaking studies and came up with the term "muscle dysmorphia". This is not a dry, academic book. Their research is very thorough and detailed, but very easy to understand, and there are many interesting anecdotes about men who have suffer from this problem. This is an excellent and well-researched book on a seldomly discussed topic.

Finally The Truth ....Revealed
First of all, "The Adonis Complex" isn't a official medical term but since body image is such a vast concern among ALL male age groups, 3 brave people have decieded to write and explore about male body obsession. I immediately decieded to read up on this book because I too have found myself facing the Adonis Complex. The book starts off at the Olympic Gym in Boston, Mass and examines male weightlifters. They cover everyone from the "built personal trainer" to the lean "skinny" guy exercising for a common cause. All these men have one thing in common; they all are insecure and they are obsessed with having and maintaining a great physique! This book covers steriod use and why people choose to use them, muscle confessions from REAL people with The Adonis Complex, and phychological disorders among males such as muscle dysmorphia. There is a section for parents to read on how to know, treat, and prevent body obsession in young boys and teenagers. You want to know what women REALLY think, the answer lies here. In conclusion, I felt releaved and a bit depressed when I realized how many of us men suffer with The Adonis Complex. Men especially read up on this book because you will NEVER see yourself and other exercise buffs in the same way again.

Science mixed with sensationalism
A lot of research has been put into this book. Unfortunately, the research is mixed up with anecdotes and conjectures. In extrapolating research data, the authors often make wild guesses as to what proportion of the population is affected by the Adonis Complex. There are also lots of case studies that focus on extreme cases. These amount to little more than sensationalistic journalism.

The book does have a lot to offer. The fat free mass index is a great way to calculate your genetic limits with regards to lean body mass. Sample surveys are provided to help diagnose those who may be suffering from the Adonis Complex. The book seems to condemn an obsession with a lean, muscular body. However what people are willing to sacrifice to obtain their goals is just a matter of personal choice and the authors have no right to make judgements upon those who strive to better themselves. A lot of the information is eye opening but I wish they'd just stick to the facts.