Boys with Eating Disorders (紊亂，失調(diào))
     Why isn't Tony Eating? No one knows what Tony does at lunchtime. His friends all gather at the
dining hall where they share stories and eat. They talk about their lives and the things they have seen in
movies or read in books. But Tony doesn't care about these things, and he doesn't join them. In fact,
there is only one thing on Tony's mind -- building the perfect body. And while his friends are chatting
away, Tony is in the gym by himself, lifting weights. Now, he is able to lift more than ever. He has also
measured his arms and legs and weighed himself. He knows he is in the best shape of his life. But it's not
enough.
     People say that women and girls are the ones who have body size issues, the ones who develop
eating disorders, and the ones affected most by the media pressure. It is true that women and girls are
affected more, but the same issues also affect men and boys.
     There is more and more media pressure for men and boys to take on the look of the well-muscled
athletes and actors. Males are becoming uncomfortable about their physical appearance and self-image.
Sports, health, and fitness magazines focus on the importance of having muscles and the methods to
obtain those perfect sports bodies. Boys tend to do a great deal of weight training and, if they do not
see immediate results, they often turn to using steroids (類固醇) and vitamins that advertise unbelievable
muscle gain.
     The average boy cannot come near meeting the impossible "standard" of the media's male body
perfection. They are not going to be Arnold Schwarzenegger or some other action star, or have the
well-muscled body of athletes. The most popular magazines carry images of women and men on the
covers that represent about 3 percent of the population. Obviously, that leaves 97 percent who cannot
measure up to that level of a desired body image.
     Magazines, especially those aimed at men and boys, spread the "body building" message around.
Advertisements promote weight lifting, body building or muscle toning. The V-shaped body with great
muscles is emphasized as the ideal.
     The need to make weight for a sport like boxing can cause eating disorders. The demandfor pills that
give energy and decrease a person's desire to eat is high among those needing tomake weight.
     More and more health-care professionals are starting to realize the degree that boys can be
influenced by body image. One recent study showed that of boys between the ages of 7 and 9, fifty
percent wanted to reshape their body. This percentage (百分比) increases as they reach their teens and
want to take part in sports and impress girls. It is something that can follow you throughout life if you do
not learn to understand that there is more to you than your muscles and body shape.