From today's paper:
Obsession over muscle size could signal an unhealthy psychological syndrome
By Dr. Paul Donohue
04/01/2006
Dear Dr. Donohue: I exercise seven days a week for six hours each day. I make sure I eat well. I get enough protein by drinking four protein shakes and eating six eggs every day.
I am 5 feet 11 inches and weigh 210 pounds. I have had my body fat checked two ways - skin folds and electrically. I have 8 percent body fat.
Even though I do all this work, I cannot achieve the muscle size I want. I look in the mirror and see a scrawny body.
I don't know what more I can do. I think about this all the time.
Do you have any suggestions?
I have a serious suggestion for you.
You should consider that you very likely have an unhealthy obsession with your body. Anyone of your height and weight is not scrawny.
Your mind is distorting what you see in the mirror. Having 8 percent body fat means that more than 90 percent of your weight is muscle and bone.
That's a very low body fat percentage. Few have that little body fat.
You work out daily for long periods of time. You don't need any more exercise. You watch your diet and take extra steps to make sure you're getting enough protein. You're getting more than enough nutrition.
You might have what's called body dysmorphic syndrome.
It's a psychological state in which people fixate on some aspect of their body and believe it not to be up to par when, in reality, there is nothing wrong with it.
One subset of body dysmorphic syndrome is muscle dysmorphia.
Here the target of obsessive thoughts is inadequate muscle development when all objective evidence shows excellent musculature.
Thinking about this all the time is an indication that you have gone overboard. If you are ignoring other aspects of life you need help from a mental health professional.
Write Dr. Donohue at P.O.Box 536475, Orlando, Fla. 328553-6475.
