Islwyn MP Chris Evans has revealed that he suffered from body dysmorphia as a youngster, feeling pressure to get the ‘perfect male body’.
Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on eating disorders, Mr Evans said he felt pressure to look like his movie role models Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone
Visibly emotional he said: “I know that eating disorders — bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, body dysmorphia and others — ?are secretive and private illnesses that people battle, and that it is difficult for those individuals to speak out because of their fear of being judged.
“Many Members touched on the immense pressure that people are under to look thin, healthy or muscular.
“When I was a teenager, my big role models were Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Every time their films came out, I wanted to look like them. It got to the point where I worked out twice a day.
“I lifted weights constantly and followed a diet. I suffered from all the causes of body dysmorphia. I never looked good enough.
“But wanting to look like big Arnie was not the trigger; the trigger was that my parents were going through a divorce and I was about to sit my exams. It was a high-stress situation, and the only way out of it was to look like Schwarzenegger or Stallone.
“Luckily — or unluckily — I injured my arms and could not lift weights any more, and that feeling went away. But for so many people, it does not go away.”
The Labour MP also criticised the media’s treatment of extreme weight loss and exercise in the impassioned speech, made on Tuesday, October 16.
He gave the example of the media’s recent response to Mark Wahlberg’s extreme routine which includes exercising twice before 7.30am in the morning. He argued this could send a dangerous message to young people about how to live a healthy life style.
Fellow MP Dr Lisa Cameron thanked Mr Evans for “raising the issue of body image, particularly for young men, because often that is overlooked.”
Mr Evans paid tribute to those who struggle with eating disorders and encouraged them to seek help.
He said: “Talk to someone. Seek out the help you need. It does not have to be from a professional—it just has to be from someone you trust. If you come forward, you will find that people do not judge you but try to help you if they can.”