Muscle dysmorphia-Inverse anorexia

Muscle dysmorphia is a specific type of dysmorphic disorder in which a person, mainly males, become obsessed with building muscle to the point where it affects their relationships with others as well as their self-image. It is considered an inverse body image disorder. This athlete ideal is the opposite of female thinness. Although the patients are very muscular and fit they believe that their muscles are not large enough. This disorder is described as a preoccupation with muscularity and body building. If they cannot continue their daily routine they become nervous. They wear long sleeved pullovers even in summers to hide their body (Túry and et al, 2010). According to a survey in 2001 4, 3% of the Hungarian male bodybuilders showed muscle-dysmorphia.

The risk factors of this illness are family dysfunction, stress and mood imbalance. Sufferers often take anabolic steroids which cause, for example, bone calcification (Túry, 2001).

Comparing anorexia nervosa with inverse nervosa, table 5

Anorexia nervosa	Inverse nervosa
Mainly women are affected	Mainly males are affected
Dangerous weight loss and thinness	Overweight, muscular body
Weight phobia	Thinness phobia
Body disorder, the ideal body is slim (They consider themselves fat)	Body disorders, athletic ideal (they consider themselves very slim)
Demonstrative behaviour	Behaviour disorders
Laxatives, abuse	Anabolic steroid-abuse

Table 5 Comparing anorexia nervosa with inverse nervosa (Túry, 2001).

Eating disorders may occur in childhood. They are dangerous as it is difficult to diagnose them and young bodies will lack enough quantity and quality of foods, vitamins and minerals.