New Study Finds Half of All Gay Men Would Die A Year Early for the Perfect Body

Posted by Kevin Farrell on Jan 6, 2012 in Health | 29 comments

A study released today says 48% of gay men would sacrifice a year or more of their lives in exchange for a perfect body.

The research also said 10% of gay men would agree to die more than 11 years earlier if they could have their ideal body now.

Nine in ten gay men admit they enforce “unrealistic” images of lean and muscular men in conversation.

In comparison, only a third of straight men said they would give a year or more for an ideal body shape, and 77% admitted buying into the body image ideal.

The study was produced by the Central YMCA, the Succeed Foundation and the Centre for Appearance Research at UWE Bristol. After working with 394 participants, researchers found that nearly 92% of gay men are pretty much obsessed with body image, and that 59% of gays regularly compare themselves to “better looking” men. The figure for straight men is about half that.

35% of gay men are also anxious about what their friends think about their body. Only one in five straight men give a rat’s ass what their pals think about their bod.

Fellas, what are you thinking? You know what feels even better than having the perfect body? Having your own perfect body, whatever that may be.

Real talk, one of the benefits of being a big boy blogger is that I get to pop into the gym for an hour in the middle of the day. I also cook two meals a day, five days a week. Real cooking, y’all. (Cast iron skillet FTW!) Friday’s are usually reserved for takeout, and my partner makes dinner on Tuesdays. By no means am I hulking out, but do I look damn good in a loincloth made entirely of shredded Us Weekly‘s? Duh. Being healthy is just as much of a shared priority in our lives as professional success, financial growth, and loving up on one another.

Fellas, there’s no need to sacrifice a year or ten of your life just to look good naked. It’s a new year. Start being your healthiest self today. You’re going to want that decade later on. Trust me.

Would YOU give up a year of your life for a rocking bod? How about ten?

(via Pink News)

Scott Reutter

I’m sure it doesn’t help that UB often posts pictures of men with 0% BMI and look like they stepped out of an other-worldly action movie. These ideas of what the “perfect body” is…it’s pushed and shoved on men these days, and gay men seem to be more susceptible to it. Now, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like a way to help this would be for News sites, and advertising agencies to stop using these male models with “great bodies” that are then photoshopped even further on their websites or in magazines. I know that’s unrealistic, and it’s an advertising scheme, but it would definitely help nullify the problem at hand.

http://www.facebook.com/jkirsch3 Joe Kirsch

GENIUS.

All guys need love.

Anonymous

When it comes down to it, it is within the person to make decisions about their own body. There may seem to be a media influence when we notice people with generically ‘great bodies’ but that is the media the person chooses to pay attention to. If a person sees a image they like and they want for themselves, and they have the motivation to do it then they will. It doesn’t matter in regards to weight, muscles, pimples, noses or whatever. Doesn’t even have to be physical. The starting point is one person to themselves. Self worth. What standards do we hold for ourselves, without imposing our personal ideas on others. Putting blame on ad agencies and photoshop seems like an excuse. We’ve been doing it for a long time as a society. It is easy to put the blame on exterior forces, I know. I use to do it. Then I got over myself and said that I was overweight and that I wanted to do something about it. The pictures UB had posted onlline weren’t my motivation. It was me. My partner and my dog. My future children. So I got on it. Started July 10, 2010 and I’ve dropped 62 pounds and now I am healthy and living because of my decision. Someone might see a cigar ad and think it is artistically brilliant but not want to pick up a cigar. Let the ad agencies do their job and we can make our own minds up.
http://www.facebook.com/lancifer.m Lancifer Miller

Ok.. so here is what is sad. I am a bear. I love me some bears no less. To me visually that is an awesome body type. For me personally… I totally bought into body image, but one that is upheld by this community. Here is the sad part, I probably would hastily decide to give up 1yr of life to have the perfect muscle bear (Kegs are better than six packs) body. Aint that a damn shame? Even tho I know it is bullshit, I still fall for it.
http://twitter.com/aRichWhiteBoy Ryan Haines

“but do i look damn good in a loincloth made entirely of shredded Us Weekly’s” Pics, or its not true ;-P

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_G2WSJS7KMYZQK2ANFWQTKPKYFA Jeremy Cantrell

yes, that’s why we want the pics, for proof

Lonny Parr

Anything to get me back into professional (vs, amateur) adult films would suit me fine.
Pingback: Would Gay Men Prefer to Live One Less Year For That Perfect Bod? | Shut Up, I'm Eating!
Kaoru Negisa

What ultimately gets me is that the goal seems ultimately unattainable because it’s too easy to just move the goal posts. For example: I believe myself to be incredibly cute, but I recognize I need to lose some weight and get in better shape. However, when I was losing weight, it never seemed like enough, which lead to frustration and eventual quitting. Now I try to make up for it with a sparkling personality and learning to sing/play another instrument, but ultimately it’s frightening to think about trying and potentially failing once again. Would I sacrifice a year to not have to deal with the anxiety that comes with trying to get in shape? Most likely, yes, since it would make the other years more worthwhile.
http://www.facebook.com/giuliojams Giulio Rocco Pellegrini

My goal in 2012 is to have the best drawn abs on the Internet.
http://www.facebook.com/avehooper Avery L. Hooper

i don’t really care about body’s, just be healthy. …but i do care about a person’s face. i’m more into face’s. take “The Situation” from that MTV show for example, he’s fuckin’ UUGGLLYY as all hell!!! it doesn’t matter how cut ur bod is, i’m So NOT kissing a face like that. sorry… :/ but a regular average guy with an average body & nice sweet average face, that’s what’s up!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=66504607 Rachel Tonks

I’m lesbian, but I would totally trade a year in diapers for 50+ years of being drop dead gorgeous!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=66504607 Rachel Tonks

I’m lesbian, but I would totally trade a year in diapers for 50+ years of being drop dead gorgeous!
Anonymous

It’s kind of a silly question since to be in the kind of physical shape necessary for the perfect body would probably extend our lives rather than shorten them … but on a purely hypothetical basis, heck yeah, I’d give up a year of my life to have a perfect body. Ten years, no, but if I had the kind of body most everyone admires, the quality of my life in what’s left of my prime would be worth dying at, say, 83, instead of 84 … if only because I could stop imagining what life would be like with a perfect body. I could then devote the brain power that currently goes into that to solving some of the world’s real problems. Right?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1143337683 Joe Nowlan

If I had the “perfect” body, I would still find things I didn’t like about my appearance. The problem about worrying about your image all the time wouldn’t be solved by having a better body. Physical fitness is essential to a healthy lifestyle, but being pure muscle isn’t healthy. Accepting yourself for who you are would be much more productive than changing yourself. Changing yourself won’t make you love yourself, accepting yourself and loving what you are will.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Grey-Diamond/1547664306 Grey Diamond

Id rater get myself a boyfriend who love me for my personnality than my ”perfect body”. What kind of fucked world is that ?

http://twitter.com/Kevin_byDesign Kevin byDesign

To actually have a “Good Body” after the age of 30+ requires eating well and more than casual exercise.. That alone will most likely extend your life 8 to 12 years; So Go head and take a year. ha-ha .
If you don’t have a great body at age 18? It’s probably not your fault…If you don’t have a great body at 40? It’s ALL your fault…..:-P
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1494565592 Michael Jarboe

I suppose “technically” I have given a year, or more, if I put 30 years of gym time together. But as has been said, that time will also extend my life years beyond the average american who is now overweigh,t or obese, and a new generation so unhealthy it will live a shorter life than their parents for the first time in our nations history. So while “perfection” is perhaps going too far, it amazes me that the idea of a fit, healthy body is constantly dogged while we have an obesity crisis here in the west that is killing adults and children at an alarming rate, yet we pretend that this is somehow “better” because it lacks superficiality and promotes inner “worth.” As if a diet of high fructose corn syrup and fat gives you a great personality. If push comes to shove I’d far rather a media promote perhaps an excessive idea of health over one that perpetuates a lifestyle that kills. When the numbers of individuals in this country dying from eating disorders becomes even a fraction of those dying from excessive or unhealthy eating, then perhaps we can continue this discussion.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Christopher-Rochester/637706456 Christopher Rochester

Hell yeah – I’d throw in the towel at 60 for an underwear model body.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Grey-Diamond/1547664306 Grey Diamond

Wow I am kind of disapointed in the gay community. I prefer to live one year longer than to have that ”perfect body” . I prefer to keep my own natural skinny body than have the ken look.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=550872742 Xocha Nicci Xiong

I just want to be skinny O_o I don’t want that bulk muscle D: I’m a bottom and I feel better without the muscle, but thats what I used to think. NOW I want to be skinny with small contours of muscles, (lost 34 pounds of fat still going) but my partner, I just want a bear is that too much to ask for?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BDYISP5Z6BZEJONBHLQJEUSWUU Daniel S

I’d rather pay for the perfect body.
http://www.facebook.com/krt40356 Kenny Tackett

Well, I’ll be as old as Yoda when I die if that’s the case. I’m a big guy and I like myself just the way I am.
Anonymous

First of all, half of these guys are all beefed up on steroids. So yes, they have given up that decade of their life. There is a thing they call photoshop for the other half, which had made it easy for all of us to look great on computer inages. Unfortunately that ideal body type is not attainable for the average Joe. Personally I like to look like I take care of myself, yet have something more interesting to offer than saying “I pick things uo and out them down”!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=682243302 Frank P. Courtell

Know what? All of the men I know in relationships are A) much skinnier than I am or B) MUCH more beefy and self identify as bears. Would I trade a year of my life to be sexy? I would have to give it a LOT of thought…
Anonymous

Men, welcome to what women have to go through every day of their lives. Pack a lunch cuz it ain’t changing.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Weisbaker/804949373 Jeff Weisbaker

well i guess i will settle for looking the way I do, but at least i am healthy
Anonymous

I know that a lot of UB readers will probably jump on me for being shallow after they read this cmment. And it’s probably true that I am.

But, uhm, hell yes I would give up a year of my life to have the perfect body. Abso-freaking-lutely. I’m an actor, do you know how much more work I could get with the perfect body? And I know there’s a LOT of gay actors out there who think the same thing.

…..of course, it’s purely financial and not all to do with the fact that we could get laid whenever I wanted by whomever I wanted…..
http://www.facebook.com/rocky.calhoun.39 Rocky Calhoun

Despite how I would love to say No I would not sacrifice those years.. I would only be Lying to myself.
I struggle to have a better body, and the self confidence that I think that I look good.
having been a over weight child i was made fun of by my weight by family and friends.
Having lost close to 60lbs I still am not satisfied with my desired body goal.
Yes I would easily give.11 or less of my years to have even a Semi Perfect Body…
as far as my partner would go.. as long as heshe does not mind jumping in a friendly game of foot ball or ultimate frisbee or skydiving if they are happy i am happy!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Michael-DAngio/723244414 Kevin Michael D’Angio

ever done p90x? feels like you’re sacrificing a year of your life if you’re italian. couldn’t even touch lasagna.

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