Nagpur men getting afflicted with manorexia!

Manorexia, the male form of anorexia nervosa, is now spreading its wings in the city...
Women have been made the butt of myriad jokes because of their obsession with their self-image and weight. But now, men are joining this league with alarming alacrity. A recent report published in New York Times claims that Manorexia is the latest lifestyle problem that is driving the western men against the wall.NT traces the first steps of its advent in the city…
What is Manorexia
It is the male form of Anorexia Nervosa where the person becomes psychologically obsessed with his body image, usually musculature. Manorexics often resort to compulsive weight lifting, use of dietary supplements, or steroids - in an attempt to build muscle mass to look "perfect."
Foray has begun
Psychologists claim that Manorexia begins with an amazing obsession with the self-image. And it starts with an overdrive to attain the chiselled abs. Sapna Saxena, who manages a slimming centre in Nagpur, says: "Out of all the male clients who come to our centre, there are few of them who are extremely obsessed with retaining the perfect hip-waist ratio. And if they gain even a couple of millimetres extra, they want to shed it right away! If that means going on a diet, exercising for hours or getting expensive massages, they are game for everything. But, only five percent clients are so obsessed with this kind of perfection."
Flexing the muscles
Contrary to popular notion, the Manorexic men appear quite normal on the surface. Hence right from six packs to attaining a muscular look, they are ready to go all the way. Aditya Saraf, the owner of a city gym, says, "Amongst the youngsters, I have seen this fetish to attain the six and eight packs. But, now we see a few of them getting obsessed with retaining chiselled bodies and abs. We advise them to go about it the right away, with proper diet, exercise and holistic views on fitness."
The fallouts
City based dietician Meher Khan goes on to add, "Out of 10, I see two people obsessing over that perfection. But, when they try to resort to extremes in exercise or diet, we make them aware about its fallouts. The extremes can have an adverse effect on body, mind and soul."
Hiding a lacunae
There's more to manorexia than mere chiselled abs, skipped meals or intake of muscle-building substances. According to former president of Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists, Dr S S Nathawat, it's a serious problem. "This concept has arrived in India recently. It is basically an attention-seeking effort. And if you look closely behind that perfect exterior, you will find traces of major hurt and a disturbed personality. And you can be rest assured that the man beneath the perfect looks is hiding a traumatic experience and a lacunae," says he.
Some manorexic celebs
- Marc Antony
- Billy Bob Thornton
- Matt Damon
- Dennis Quaid
- Ben Stiller
- Colin Farrell
- Carson Daly
- Mick Jagger