bigorexia

American  

[big-uh-rek-see-uh] / ˌbɪg əˈrɛk si ə /

noun

1. muscle dysmorphia.

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Usage

What is bigorexia? Bigorexia is an alternative name for muscle dysmorphia, a mental disorder in which a person perceives that their body is not muscular enough, leading to obsessive and unhealthy behaviors, such as compulsive exercising, use of anabolic steroids, and disordered eating. Bigorexia primarily affects men and teenage boys.Muscle dysmorphia is widely considered a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a mental disorder characterized by distorted body image and obsessions about perceived physical shortcomings.People with bigorexia tend to view their bodies as insufficiently lean or small, despite the fact that bigorexia is most common among people with average or even muscular body types. While bigorexia is more common among men, it has also been diagnosed in women.In general, a person with bigorexia obsessively desires a large, muscular body (even if they already have one) and will go to unhealthy lengths to build body mass. While the specifics of bigorexia vary from person to person, common signs of bigorexia include an obsession with exercise, abnormal eating patterns and diets, and substance abuse (especially of anabolic steroids).Health experts have noted a recent increase in diagnosed cases of bigorexia, especially among young males, that they attribute in part to the influence of social media content and other media that glorifies muscular physiques.The adjective bigorexic is sometimes used (patterned on anorexic, the adjective form of anorexia).

Etymology

Origin of bigorexia

First recorded in 2005; big ¹ + (an)orexia

Example Sentences

Also known as “reverse anorexia” or “bigorexia,” muscle dysmorphia is a pathologic preoccupation with muscularity.

From Salon

Dr. Nagata: Also known as bigorexia or reverse anorexia, it’s a disorder where someone thinks that their body is puny or not muscular enough, even if objectively they would be considered fit or athletic by other people.

From New York Times

A body-image disorder called muscle dysmorphia, nicknamed “bigorexia,” causes even large men to see themselves as too small and develop an irrational fear of losing muscle.

From Washington Post

Dr Daniel Grant, Medicheck's head of medical education, blamed a rise in this type of body dysmorphia - often called "bigorexia" - on the influence of reality TV and social media, partly.

From BBC

Psychiatrists sometimes refer to a preoccupation, mostly among young men, of not feeling muscular enough and a strict adherence to eating foods that lower weight and build muscle as ‘bigorexia.’

From New York Times