Today's society is heavily focused on the physical aspect of our bodies. It seems that our body image is of a very important concern to many. According to previous research studies one's self-esteem is closely related to the degree of satisfaction with one's body image.

Most of the research before now on body image has been done in relation to the female population. The concerns of how one looks used to be thought of as a female preoccupation.

However, cultural and societal trends have come to suggest that body image concerns may also affect males. New research has shown that the adolescent male is vulnerable to the pressures of obtaining the "ideal" male body. The ideal includes the V-shape, muscularity, and tallness. This new desire has led many to participate in athletics.

Football players reported more body satisfaction and more positive attitudes and behaviors toward eating and weight control despite 83 percent of them wanting to gain weight. Through the various tests in the questionnaire it was found that football players, being an average of 37 pounds heavier, were perceived as the male ideal type. While the cross-country runners, who perceive themselves as thinner than average, are more likely to have a negative self view and lower self-esteem. Football players in this study expressed satisfaction with their upper body and are related to the sport they chose. Cross-country runners desired and increase in upper body size.

Recent evidence has indicated that runners may be prone towards eating disorders. The data collected confirms this with high scores on the bulimia and oral control portions or the EAT test. Now it appears that runners need to be educated to accept and value their body build and to avoid ba

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 645
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)