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:
* An obsession with exercise, sometimes to the exclusion of all other activities
* Binge eating, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia
* The abuse of steroids, muscle-building supplements, and diet aids
But perhaps more important, it offers readers an explanation of the underlying causes of the Adonis complex, together with hands-on advice for those who have experienced body obsessions themselves, or who see these problems in a boy or man they love.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

ONE Secrets of the Men at the Olympic Gym

TWO The Rise of the Adonis Complex:

Roots of Male Body Obsession

THREE Do You Have the Adonis Complex?

Two Tests and Their Astonishing Results

FOUR Muscle Dysmorphia: Muscularity Run Amok

FIVE Anabolic Steroids: Dangerous Fuel for the Adonis Complex

SIX Fear of Fat: Men and Eating Disorders

SEVEN Beyond Muscle and Fat:

Hair, Breasts, Genitals, and Other Body Obsessions

EIGHT Boys at Risk

NINE Dealing with the Adonis Complex: Women's Voices

TEN Straights and Gays: Not So Different After All

ELEVEN Rx for the Adonis Complex:

A Guide for Men and Their Loved Ones

APPENDIX I The Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI)

and How to Calculate It

APPENDIX II Diagnostic Criteria for Body Image Disorders

APPENDIX III Where to Get Help

Notes

Index

Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D., is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Biological Psychiatry Laboratory at McLean Hospital. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.