Men's Self-Compassion, Body Satisfaction, and Intuitive Eating: The Moderating Role of Conformity to Masculine Norms.

Despite recent research suggesting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating are growing concerns in men, few studies have examined these trends. Self-compassion has been shown to have positive effects on women's outcomes in eating disorder diagnoses and in body image contexts. However, research investigating the association between self-compassion and body related outcomes in men has been lacking. Additionally, research suggests that men face societal pressure to conform to masculine norms which may impact their body image and eating behaviour. Thus, the present study was designed to study the relationship between self-compassion and body related outcomes in men (i.e., intuitive eating and body parts satisfaction). This study also explored conformity to masculine norms as a potential moderator of the relationship between self-compassion and body related outcomes. Data was collected from 249 men (Mage = 23.20, SD = 3.70). through an online survey. The survey included measures assessing intuitive eating, body (self)-compassion, body satisfaction, fear of self-compassion, self-esteem and conformity to masculine norms. Regression analysis using a mean centered predictor showed that self (body)- compassion was significantly and positively associated with intuitive eating and body parts satisfaction, however, conformity to masculine norms failed to moderate either relationship. These findings offer insight into the benefits of practicing selfcompassion for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]