The Adonis Complex: Suffering in Silence

Suffering in Silence

Why does the general public believe only women are victims of body image and eating disorders? Adolescent to adult males are dangerously preoccupied with the appearance of their bodies. The difference between men and women are men almost never talk openly about this problem. Society has taught them that they shouldn 't be concerned about how they look. But countless numbers of men are sacrificing important aspects of their lives to working out compulsively. This leads to distorted body images, which ties together with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia (Adonis Complex.) The general public usually categorizes these disorders with women only. Women aren 't the only victims; men are suffering too, but just silently.
According to Greek mythology, Adonis was seen as the premier model of male beauty and masculinity. According to Adonis in Greek Mythology, Persephone raised Adonis. Aphrodite, queen of the gods, loved Adonis but Persephone refused to give him up. The matter was settled when Zeus, the king of gods, made a deal. Adonis was to spend four months with Persephone, four months with Aphrodite and four months on his own. It was known that he chose to spend his four months of solitude with Aphrodite. Banh 2
Adonis was portrayed as an icon of male beauty and masculinity; "The body of Adonis presumably represents the ultimate male physique imaginable to the sixteenth-century artist" (Olivardia 6). If we looked at the paintings of Adonis today, there would be a consensus that he looked plump and out of shape compared to today 's body builders. The "Adonis Complex" is not an official medical term; it is used to describe the various secretive body image concerns of males. This ranges from minor physical implications to self-destructing body image disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The media plays a huge role influencing adolescent to adult males to believe that being more lean and

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