As a means to “reclaim” his physique, singer Sam Smith uploaded a shirtless selfie of himself on Instagram.
While these kinds of posts aren’t uncommon for celebrities on social media, Smith singer took advantage of the opportunity to discuss his body image issues, admitting to starving himself for weeks in preparation for forthcoming picture sessions.
“Some may see this as selfish and boastful,” he said in his Instagram post, which contains some foul language, so consult your mother before clicking.
“But you’d never think such things if you knew however many guts it needed to achieve this and the physical pain I suffered as a child.”
His supporters have applauded him for “inspiring” them through his “wonderful” statement, which has almost a million likes.
In a 2016 poll of over 1,000 boys singer aged eight to 18, 55% indicated they would consider changing their diet to improve their appearance, and 23% said they felt there was a “ideal male figure to aim for.”
Despite the constant pressure that young men face from the media, the poll indicated that more than half of the boys (56%) would find it difficult to talk to a teacher about their confidence, and almost one-third would find it tough to speak to a teacher about their self-esteem.
Male celebrities have spoken out against body image and called on the media to reform their attitudes.
Antony Costa
Antony Costa, the vocalist for Blue, came on Lorraine in 2017 and spoke about his experiences with “fat-shaming” on social media.
Costa noted that hearing criticism “was water off a duck’s back” when he first started out in the show industry before the advent of social media, but that now, the public is quick to point out flaws in selfies and paparazzi images, which he feels may be damaging.
“It’s difficult for me as a man in the profession because you have to keep up with the Joneses, to be seen to have the six-pack,” he explained.
Chris Pratt
That’s true, you read that right. Chris Pratt, who portrays the gun-toting, butt-kicking, ripped Star-Lord inside the Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy, has also suffered from body image.
He remarked at a press conference for the movie in 2014: “I’m sure I can’t connect to what Hollywood women go through. I’m quite confident I won’t be able to.
“But I understand how it feels to eat emotionally, and how it feels to be upset and try to make yourself happy with the food.
“Then, very quickly, to be unhappy and humiliated, and singer to try to mask those feelings with more food. That’s something I’ve experienced. It’s a vicious cycle that’s all too true.”
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