Reverse anorexia is a syndrome in which individuals falsely believe they appear small and weak when in reality they are large and muscular. This syndrome was identified in a study of male bodybuilders, particularly among those using anabolic steroids. Individuals reporting this syndrome experienced adverse effects such as declining social invitations, wearing bulky clothes to appear larger, and refusing to be seen shirtless. Some also cited reverse anorexia as a reason for continuing their steroid use.

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Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder. It causes the individual to experience aversive emotions about their build and muscle appearance.

Muscle dysmorphia

With media depictions of men being protrayed as more and more muscular, one study decided to examine how/if this impacts men's body dissatisfaction, specifically muscle dysmorphia. It was found that this overrepresentation of muscled bodies in the media led to men being biased about their own and other men's bodies. They were more likely to judge average bodies as non-muscular the more they were exposed to images of muscled men in the media over time. This effect did not occur when judging obesity, this effect only happened with the perception of muscles. Increasing media images of muscled men have contributed to increasing muscle dysmorphia among men.

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