Abstract:

Abstract This study aims to present an integrative review of the Latin-American scientific literature, from the 15 years ago, about the sociocultural aspects of the male body image. From the perspective of Integrative Review research, we analyzed 115 articles, available in the virtual databases Lilacs, SciELO and PePsic, published between 2005 and 2019. The set of studies analyzed reveals the centrality of sociocultural aspects in the construction of male body image and the way that the men perceive and use their own bodies, daily. In different contexts, men experience strong social pressure to adapt their bodies to hegemonic patterns of beauty and to the ideals of masculinities that are socially diffused and shared, interfering with their perceptions about their own bodies, and construct eating behaviors and physical exercise practices that often damage the health.

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