#Fitspiration and Body Dissatisfaction: Application of the Tripartite Influence Model in Men

Abstract

Fitspiration is a social media trend that aims to inspire people to engage in exercise through photos and/or videos. While evidence suggests that it can lead to increased exercise motivation, it has also been shown to have negative effect on body image, including self-objectification and body dissatisfaction. However, the majority of studies have investigated the impact of Fitspiration on body image experiences in women, with few examining the impact of Fitspiration on men’s body image. This study examined the effects of viewing Fitspiration images on young men’s self-objectification and body fat dissatisfaction and muscularity dissatisfaction. Additionally, appearance comparisons and muscular-ideal internalization were examined as potential mediators of these relationships. This study employed a between-subjects pre-post experimental design with men (n = 188) aged 18-29 years, recruited online through Cloud Research Connect. They were randomly assigned to the Fitspiration or scenery (control) condition where they viewed 20 images (formatted as Instagram images) on Qualtrics. State body image measures (self-objectification, body fat dissatisfaction, muscularity dissatisfaction) were assessed immediately before and after viewing the images; potential mediators (appearance comparisons, muscular-ideal internalization) were assessed after. Participants assigned to the Fitspiration condition reported higher self-objectification, F(1,182) = 5.05, p = < .026, ηp2 = .027 compared to those in the scenery condition. Additionally, appearance comparisons fully mediated the relationship between viewing Fitspiration images and self-objectification; viewing Fitspiration led to higher social comparisons (B = .80, t = 3.35, p = .00, 95% CI [.33, 1.26]), which in turn led to higher self-objectification (B = .47, t = 2.39, p = .02, 95% CI [.08, .86]). However, social comparisons did not mediate body fat dissatisfaction or muscularity dissatisfaction. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature showing that exposure to idealized body images in Fitspiration content can increase negative body image (specifically self-objectification) among men. However, the results also show that body fat dissatisfaction and muscularity dissatisfaction may not be directly influenced by brief exposure to Fitspiration images. Further, appearance comparisons may play a key role in body image concerns among men; viewing Fitspiration led to higher social comparisons, which were associated with higher self-objectification. There is a need for further research on the impact of Fitspiration on men’s body image experiences (e.g., body shame) and the potential role of appearance comparisons on these outcomes. The findings of this study indicate the potential need for developing a social media literacy intervention to mitigate the negative effects of idealized media portrayals in young men.