Jonah Hill’s body image message is making headlines.
The actor recently shared a heartfelt message on Instagram about his struggle to accept himself after the British tabloid Daily mail posted paparazzi photos of the 37-year-old surfing.
“I don’t think I ever took my shirt off in a pool before I was in my mid-thirties, not even in front of family and friends,” Hill admitted. “Probably it would have happened sooner if my child insecurity had not been exacerbated by years of public ridicule about my body by press and interviewers. ‘t phase me tomorrow is dope.’
The Superbad Star concluded: “I’m 37 and finally love myself and accept it. It’s not a ‘good for me’ post. And it’s definitely not a ‘bad feeling for me’.” It is for the kids who do not take off their shirt by the pool. To have fun. You are wonderful and wonderful and perfect. All my love. “
Hill’s message resonated with his fans – more than 40,000 of them commented on the report, including from Judd Apatow, Justin Timberlake, Rashida Jones, Ava Duvernay and so many others. Rapper Lil ‘Dicky even said:’ I have so much acne in my body and I only stopped caring last year. ‘
Hill’s corpse has been a media story since he first appeared in movies and TV shows in the early 2000s. Hill, whose weight has fluctuated throughout his career and time in the public eye, has opened up his weight in the past.
“I became famous in my late teens and then spent most of my young adult life listening to how people were fat and rude and unattractive,” he said during a 2018 appearance on The Ellen Show. “And only in the last four years did I write and direct my film, ‘Mid90s,’ which I began to understand how hurtful it was in my head.” He continues: ‘I really believe that everyone has a screenshot of themselves from a time when they were young for which they are ashamed. To me, it is that 14-year-old overweight and unattractive child who felt ugly in the world, who listened to hip hop and who was so eager to be accepted by this community of skaters. “
Hill’s experience is quite general and emphasizes the fact that men are forced to wrestle internally with the way they exist in their own bodies. According to the prevention of obesity and eating disorders in teenagers, a research study released in 2016 found that ’37 percent of overweight boys are teased by their peers or family members about their weight ‘, which can lead to’ weight gain, eating habits and extreme weight control measures’.
Associations with a negative body image are common with women, and this is often with good reason, as girls from an early age are unfairly defined by narrow, unrealistic beauty standards, as well as being implicitly taught that their total value comes from their appearance.
But unfortunately, the idea that body issues even exist for men is underestimated or underestimated, despite statistics suggesting that problems with men’s body image are incredibly common, and almost half of men admit that they are dissatisfied with the body and that research shows that men experience body dysmorphy. at the same rate as women, all of which can lead to low self-esteem, psychological distress or even eating disorders.
Eating disorders are not usually associated with men, but according to the National Association for Eating Disorder Association, figures indicate that “one in three people who struggle with an eating disorder are male” and that “subclinical eating disorder behaviors”, who eat alcohol, including purification, abuse of laxatives and fasting for weight loss, are almost as common among men as in women.
Virgie Tovar, one of the leading experts and lecturers in the country on fat discrimination and body image, puts it all in context and explains that men keep these problems to themselves because they are “ashamed or worried” about the idea of starting their problems.
“I think a lot of the silence comes down to toxic masculinity,” Tovar tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “At the end of the day, we all need to realize that a negative body image is a very likely outcome in our culture, regardless of gender.”
Hopefully someone else like Hill can see opening up about his own struggle with his body encouraging other men to speak up on their own journey to self-acceptance. Otherwise, men may be forced to continue to suffer in silence. Sarah McMahon, a psychologist and director of the specialist clinic for eating disorders, BodyMatters Australasia, says men tend to keep these problems to themselves despite the numbers indicating an increase in body image issues.
“One of the biggest differences between body image issues in men and women is the fact that men don’t usually discuss it,” McMahon says.
Read more about Yahoo Life:
Want to bring lifestyle and wellness news to your inbox? Sign in here for Yahoo Life’s newsletter.