Are men also victims of body trends?

Though nothing at all compared to the ever-changing demands made on the female body, the male body is also subject to some very unhealthy standards.

For example, the insistence on a muscular, six-pack body that looks good in a suit.

Men must be tall, have chiselled jawlines, and have great hair.

They have to clock taxing hours at the gym to attain unsettling descriptors like ‘cut’, ‘ripped’, or ‘jacked’.

In complex racial settings, we find that different components of different races together form the ideal beauty standard.

For example, German features with a tan body are considered attractive in Brazil.

In the Philippines, people prefer Spanish and American masculine ideals.

Moreover, manscaping and hairlessness are becoming more prevalent, and hairy bodies are considered comical.

Additionally, men should not appear as if they are trying too hard—they need to look good, but should not appear as if they are working too hard.

Read our complete article "Heroin chic and other bad trends: a vicious cycle"