'Bigorexics' are never big enough

There are news stories frequently written about people dealing with the dangers of anorexia. In most cases, anorexia is suffered by women, although more and more cases of what's referred to as "manorexia" are surfacing in men. But there exists an opposite side of that weight-obsession coin, one that deals not with a person feeling as if they are too big, but just the opposite -- that they are too small and not muscular enough.

While it's easy to assume that the hugely muscular guy (or woman, in fewer cases) at the gym is either a competitive bodybuilder or just bit narcissistic, this may not be the case. Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder in which very muscular people believe that they look too small and that they lack muscularity, even if others tell them differently. Muscle dysmorphia can influence a person's mood, often causing depression or feelings of disgust. This is often connected with an obsessive comparison with their own body to what they perceive to be an attainable ideal, frequently resulting in the performance of extreme training sessions and the use of anabolic steroids.

Does this mean that all you workout junkies out there suffer from muscle dysmorphia? Probably not. But, if you find that your constant preoccupation with perceived muscular inadequacy interferes with school, career accomplishments, friendships and romantic relationships, you may be witnessing signs of this disorder.