To date, little is known about body image and eating concerns among men in midlife. To bridge this gap in the literature, this study tested an adapted and integrated sociocultural model of body image and eating concerns among men in midlife. A sample of men (N = 213) between the ages of 45 and 60 years living in the United States completed an online survey and reported on sociocultural pressures from media, friends, family and partners, body image in younger years, internalization of a youthful lean and muscular ideal, appearance comparison, sexual objectification, body dissatisfaction, attitudes towards muscularity, drive for leanness and thinness, participation in muscularity-oriented behaviors, and restrictive eating. After modification, the final model revealed good fit to the data. Although not all predicted pathways were supported, overall, interpersonal and media pressures were related to internalization of ideals and appearance comparison. In turn, internalization and comparison were related to higher body dissatisfaction, drive for leanness and muscularity, and engagement in muscularity-oriented behaviors and restrictive eating. Findings support the usefulness of an adapted and integrated sociocultural model of body image and eating concerns in midlife men. The model suggests that the pressures that may increase body image and eating concerns in younger men may also be relevant in midlife men. Findings also highlight the usefulness of considering age-specific body-change behaviors and disordered eating in midlife men.

迄今为止，人们对中年男性的身体形象和饮食问题知之甚少。为了弥合文献中的这一差距，本研究测试了中年男性身体形象和饮食问题的适应性和综合社会文化模型。居住在美国的 45 至 60 岁的男性样本 （N = 213） 完成了一项在线调查，并报告了来自媒体、朋友、家人和伴侣的社会文化压力、年轻时的身体形象、年轻苗条和肌肉理想的内化、外表比较、性客体化、身体不满、对肌肉的态度、 追求瘦弱、参与以肌肉为导向的行为和限制性饮食。修改后，最终模型显示出与数据的良好拟合。虽然并非所有预测路径都得到支持，但总体而言，人际和媒体压力与理想的内化和外貌比较有关。反过来，内化和比较与较高的身体不满、对瘦肉和肌肉的驱动力以及参与以肌肉为导向的行为和限制性饮食有关。研究结果支持中年男性身体形象和饮食问题的适应性和综合社会文化模型的有效性。该模型表明，可能增加年轻男性身体形象和饮食问题的压力也可能与中年男性有关。研究结果还强调了考虑中年男性特定年龄的身体变化行为和饮食失调的有用性。