More than half of gay men say they are ‘unhappy’ with their body – Exclusive
As we prepare to explore the body beautiful in our landmark Body Issue – available to download and in shops today (February 1) – an extensive new survey conducted by Attitude has revealed the shocking truth about how gay men really feel about their body.
A survey of more than 5,000 readers conducted in January 2017 revealed that more than half of respondents are unhappy with their body, with an overwhelming majority (84 per cent) reporting feeling intense pressure to have a good body.
Responding to to the question How happy would you say you are with your body?, 49 per cent reported feeling “Unhappy”, while another 10 per cent said they were “Very unhappy”.
While 23 per cent of respondents said they felt “Happy” with their body. 17 per cent reported having “No strong feelings either way”.
Staggeringly, just one per cent said they were “Very happy” with the way they looked.
The survey also shed light on the importance gay men place on having a good body for both themselves and potential partners, as well as the pressures of social media and online affirmation.
Attitude editor-in-chief Matt Cain says of the survey and the Body Issue in which its findings are published: “Every issue of Attitude is important to us but this one even more so than usual. And it’s one that I really care about.
“Our relationship with our body is one of the most important we’ll ever have. It’s one that can bring us intense pleasure but can also cause huge stress. And it’s one that we can’t end with a quick, easy break-up.”
He continues: “This is why we’ve decided to dedicate this entire issue of Attitude to exploring how we feel about our body. And what better way to start than by asking you, our readers, how you feel about yours?”
You can see the full results of the Attitude Body Survey in Attitude’s Body Issue, available to download and in shops now. Available internationally from newsstand.co.uk/attitude.
More stories:
Sir Ian McKellen talks life before legalisation in first ever episode of Attitude Heroes
Sydney gay killings of ’80s and ’90s inspired new Australian drama ‘Deep Water’