Over the past thirty years, the word has developed a great culture about the need for physical exercise, not only just to look good, but also for living a healthy and harmonious life in every way.
Gyms, exercise methods, videos and a professional coaches, are all around the internet, TV and news, to make the physical activity a pleasure and a real need.
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But let's see what happens when the exercise or an excessive body care, becomes an obsession. The term vigorexia, was introduced by the American psychiatrist Harrison Pope, who defines it as an emotional disorder that distorts the perception, that a person has about the own body. Basically people who suffer from vigorexia are continuously performing exercise routines, without taking care about the possible harm that this can entail. In this group of people, we may find those who are obsessed with the "suggested models" on television and magazines, and some athletes who have the sole goal to become the best in his discipline. They are recognized among other things, because they can not skip a single day at the gym, and often they perform outdoor sports in extreme conditions. In most cases they are people with low self-esteem and difficulties in interacting with others.
The physical beauty in vigorexia is associated with the increase in muscle mass, and to the endless hours of gym, they add a diet rich in protein to increase the size of the muscles, which are often supplemented with an irrationally use of anabolic and steroids. You can recognize a person with vigorexia by the following: 1) Obsession for a toned body out of proportion. 2) Excessive narcissism that leads them to continually look in the mirror, and weighed several times a day. 3) The expend of several hours a day in gyms and sports, neglecting the daily tasks of a normal person. 4) The consumption a diet rich in protein and carbohydrates to increase muscle mass. 5) Self medication. 6) Lack of proportion between the head and body.
Vigorexia is a mental distortion about the body proportions, and it can cause bone and joint problems. The self consumption of anabolics and steroids may cause liver problems, cardiovascular disease, decrease of the testicles size, erectile dysfunction and a greater chance of suffering from prostate cancer.
This obsession can be treated only by medical professionals, as the distortion is mental and treatments are often long and complex.