Boys and their bodies - how do you feel?

Former Member

Hey everyone,

These days we're always being bombarded in all directions by the media showing us images of the "perfect body." Not just for women, but for men too! 

From superhero movies to underwear adverts, the public's no stranger to the idea of having a perfect set of abs and a super sharp jawline, but unfortunately this does lead to a lack of self-esteem in a lot of men who feel like they can't live up to these high standards. Even worse, society seems to be talking about it even less than women's body issues. 

So, to all of you boys out there, how do you all see yourselves and how might you want that to change? Anyone else who knows boys coping with self-esteem issues, please share their stories too! Everyone counts. 

independent_

As a female, I have no first hand experience. However I know plenty of boys and men and many of them either don’t care as much as women (as Aidan said above) or if they do care, they don’t talk about it. I think this subject should be talked about more, so that the men who do care and feel self-conscious feel less alone.

[Deleted User]

independent_ said:

As a female, I have no first hand experience. However I know plenty of boys and men and many of them either don’t care as much as women (as Aidan said above) or if they do care, they don’t talk about it. I think this subject should be talked about more, so that the men who do care and feel self-conscious feel less alone.

At 14, neither did I. But Pete, three year's older than me became my first boyfriend in an unforgettable summer of romance, laughter and fooling around. A friend of the family, Pete said let's hop on a bus into Brighton. It was a Saturday and what changed the balance of our friendship was my grabbing his hand at busy Western Road and keeping hold of him long after we'd crossed. Holding hands felt great and in a shop window I caught myself not only grinning, but Pete, too. It felt just right. Our romance blossomed that day when he took me to a trattoria and ordered the biggest pizza this side of Naples. Pete was a great conversationalist and I felt even happier when he insisted on paying the bill. After a lazy unhurried lunch he took me to a men's outfitters and bought me a beautiful fedora. It suited me so well that I felt a million dollars. I got the looks from other guys, too. Couldn't stop smiling.

I didn't feel the need to get intimate though we kissed lots. The closest we got was a nice cuddle on a hill late at night as we lay watching a silvery veil of stars above us. I just felt safe in Pete's company. He was a smart dresser, too, and my parents adored him.

Sadly, his parents moved to France and Pete didn't keep in contact. I cried myself to sleep the night he'd gone, but *shug* it was a lovely holiday romance though at 14, I was already aware that females held more interest. But when with Pete, my not having any experience didn't matter very much. Instead, he and I followed our feelings and enjoyed marathon kissings.

But what was my initial attraction though? Pete dressed smartly. His nails were trimmed and clean, he wore lovely polished black shoes and a white cotton shirt and an expensive linen jacket that was undoubtedly Italian styled. And a winning smile that made me feel so good. I remember that night under the stars and loved snuggling into his warmth. Looking back with fondness, to me, Pete became one more star in the night sky.