The Adonis Complex: How to Identify, Treat and Prevent Body Obsession in Men and Boys

by Katharine A. Phillips, Harrison G. Pope Jr., Roberto Olivardia

Book Overview

A HEALTH CRISIS THAT STRIKES MEN OF ALL AGES Trying everything from compulsive weight lifting to steroids, more and more boys and men are taking the quest for physical perfection beyond the bounds of normal behavior. "The Adonis Complex" -- the groundbreaking book that first gave a name to this phenomenon and sparked nationwide interest in the subject -- identifies for the first time the symptoms and warning signs of this dangerous problem, including:...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684869101
• ISBN13: 9780684869100
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A Revelation

The authors of this book have been doing a lot of research over the years. The chapter notes contain at least 50 research papers that they have published in various scientific journals. Some of their findings are pretty stunning. For example, in a study of college men, they found that the average man would like to have a body with about 30 pounds more muscle than he actually has, and that he believes that women actually WANT him to look that muscular! In fact, when the authors studied actual women, they found that women preferred a male body that looks like an ordinary college student with no extra muscle. The authors also quote a street corner survey in which women were asked to rate the attractiveness of big bodybuilders on a scale where 0 was most attractive and 5 was the most repulsive. More than 90% of the women rated the bodybuilders as a 5.As a woman, I'm not surprised to learn this, but I think it's a revelation to see some of these studies about how men feel about their bodies. It makes it more understandable to me why men do dumb things like taking steroids. I'd particularly recommend this book to other women.

VERY INSIGHTFULL

This book was eyeopening to say the least. Their are some crazy facts in this book. Anyone who is interested in health would enjoy gaining this knowledge. Excessive body image insecurity has created so much contreversy in females leading to illness, and self-abuse. This book puts the spotlight on males who are also abusing themselves with steriods and other harmful supplements to gain confidence through their body. This book is shocking. Did you know that video games our children play with actaully allow players to drink bottles of "Steriods" to gain power. What kind of message is that for our children?This book uncovers a problem which is very deep-seeded. It offers diagrams and quizes which teach us how to notice steriod users and also to show what is normal and acheivable by a human and what is fake and unachievable without drugs.

A "must read" for any bodybuilder

Anybody who works out should definitly take the time to read this book. It basically makes a claim that most people are not happy with their physique. Skinny people want to gain weight, fat people want to lose weight, and muscleheads want to gain even more muscle. Nobody is content. To illustrate their point, the authors provide several quizzes, using both questions and illustrations as guides. The book also mentions when the Adonis complex begins, what triggers it, and how society's ideals dictate who should/should not be happy with their physique. I encourage fellow bodybuilders everywhere to read this book. It is describing most of us, and it is important to know that we are not alone. My only criticism has to do with the topic of sterioids. The authors seem to think that it is impossible to attain a certain level of physique without the use of steroids, when this is not the case. The level that they claim is unattainable without the use of steroids is far, far too low. Some people do take the shortcut, but lots of us use hard work and determination, something that the authors don't believe in.

Informative, Surprising and Witty

The Adonis Complex is a wonderfully written book uncovering the shocking effect of the media on boys, and men. I think anyone can enjoy this book. Very well written and surprisingly funny!

A Must Read

The Adonis Complex is a must read for mothers with teenage sons, girlfriends with muscle conscious boyfriends, wives with weight conscious husbands... (and the obvious read for any gym-going man!)The prose is entertaining, lucid and laugh-out-loud. Reading the book is similar to finally discovering where socks disappear to in the dryer--a long wondered-about mystery, solved.