Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

New research provides evidence that men’s self-evaluation of their bodies predicts their level of sexual esteem, and that this relationship is moderated by body-focused anxiety and male gender norms. The findings have been published in the journal Psychology & Sexuality. While studies have demonstrated that having a poor body image is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, most of this research has focused on women. The authors of the new study sought to better understand negative body image among men, and were particularly interested in sexual esteem, which has been defined as “posit...