The Men Missing From the Body Positivity Movement

Men are judged on their appearance all the time. They just do not have a language for discussing it. There is no shortage of opinions about how men should look. Tall, but not awkwardly tall. Muscular, but not vain about it. Lean. Youthful. Thick-haired. Effortlessly confident. And, the list goes on. What is less common is a serious discussion about what those expectations do to the men living with them.Conversations about body image have focused largely on women's experiences, and for good reason. Women have borne the brunt of appearance-based scrutiny for generations. Many men, meanwhile, remain outside those discussions, even as they navigate insecurities about weight, height, hair loss and ageing. A study published by the Mental Health Foundation

in 2019 found that 28 per cent of men aged 18 and above had felt anxious because of body image issues. One in five said concerns about their appearance had led them to dress in ways that hid parts of their body.The focus, however, rarely stays on men. "Most men do not receive the same emotional validation for their body image struggles," says Divya Mohindroo, a counselling psychologist and founder of Embrace Imperfections.That may explain why male body image remains an oddly overlooked subject. The insecurities are there. The vocabulary around them is not. For Akash Ranpise, a plus-size model and content creator who runs the Instagram page @justsupersized, those insecurities began early. Growing up, he became increasingly aware of his body because of the reactions around him. "Comments, jokes, clothes not fitting properly, or just feeling left out slowly make you hyper-aware of your body," he says.That feeling often follows men into adulthood. The insecurities may change, but the pressure remains. Men's insecurities are often disguised as self-improvement goals. A man may say he wants to lose weight, gain muscle, fix his hairline or get in shape before a wedding. What he is less likely to say is that he feels insecure.Traditional ideas of masculinity are part of the reason. Boys are often taught to appear strong, composed and unaffected. Vulnerability is easier to accept when it is framed as ambition. "Talking about insecurities related to appearance is viewed as weakness instead of a genuine emotional struggle," says Mohindroo. "Men are socially rewarded for appearing tough and unbothered."

But the pressure isn't new. What has changed is the scale of it. Social media has turned the ideal male body into something people see dozens of times a day. The messaging is consistent. Be lean. Be muscular. Be attractive. Look as though none of it requires effort.Many men absorb those standards long before they question them. Mohindroo says she has worked with men who tie their self-worth to appearance, strength and physical dominance. The result can be anxiety, low self-esteem, obsessive exercise and, in some cases, depression. Some develop muscle dysmorphia, often called bigorexia."What may begin as dedication to fitness can gradually turn into an unhealthy obsession," she says.The condition is often overlooked because the pursuit of a muscular body is widely admired in men. Excessive workouts, rigid diets and constant body-checking can look like commitment rather than distress.Questions about where men fit within the body positivity movement often come back to visibility. While body positivity has represented women, plus-size men have been mostly absent from the conversation. In popular culture, larger men are rarely shown as stylish or desirable. They appeared on screen and in campaigns, but often as comic characters rather than leading men. The range of male bodies considered acceptable remained narrow.

Kais Sundrani has built a career challenging those assumptions. The professional plus-size model has walked the runway at Lakmé Fashion Week and appeared in print and advertising campaigns. He believes men deserve a place within the body positivity movement. "Body positivity was never supposed to belong to only one gender," he says. "Men go through insecurities too, whether it's about weight, height, body shape, skin, hair, or the pressure of always looking perfect or strong."For Sundrani, representation matters because it changes what people see as normal. "When people see different body types being respected, styled well and shown confidently, it reminds them that worth is not decided by a number on a weighing scale," he says.The fashion industry has started paying more attention to plus-size men, though progress remains uneven. Many brands now offer extended sizing. Far fewer understand what plus-size consumers actually want."Good plus-size fashion isn't just about making clothes bigger," says Ranpise. "It's about fit, comfort, structure and style."The issue goes beyond clothing. Representation influences confidence too. Ranpise says he once viewed the term "plus-size" as limiting. Today, he sees it differently. "Earlier, plus-size felt limiting, but now I see it as representation," he says. "If someone who looks like me can show up confidently online, it quietly gives others permission to do the same."

Many people spend years believing confidence will arrive after a transformation. After the weight loss. After the fitness journey. After they finally look the way they think they should. Ranpise knows that mindset well."A lot of people delay confidence, relationships, opportunities and self-expression thinking they'll finally live fully after they change," he says. "I've been there mentally too."The real shift, he says, comes when people stop putting their lives on hold. "Confidence is built by participating in life as you are, not by disappearing from it until you feel perfect."That idea sits close to the original purpose of body positivity. Not convincing people to love every aspect of themselves every day. Not telling people to stop improving themselves. Simply challenging the belief that only certain bodies deserve respect, visibility and confidence.Mohindroo draws that distinction. "Body positivity is not about staying exactly the way you are or avoiding self-improvement," she says. "It is about embracing your body while still choosing to work on your health from a place of care rather than shame."Sundrani shares a similar view. "You can work on your body and still love yourself during the journey," he says. "Body positivity should mean removing shame, encouraging self-love, mental well-being and helping people grow without feeling judged."The movement was never simply about appearance. At its core, it is about dignity. It is about who gets to feel comfortable in their own skin and who is allowed to take up space without apology. Women remain at the centre of that conversation for understandable reasons. They continue to face intense scrutiny around beauty and appearance. Making room for men does not take anything away from that reality.It simply acknowledges another one. Men have insecurities too. They worry about their bodies. They compare themselves to impossible standards. They struggle with confidence. The difference is that many are still learning how to talk about it.The insecurities have always been there. Perhaps it is the conversation that is finally catching up.