Search for men’s perfect body
Jasmine Atieno @sparkleMine
Since time immemorial, society has obsessively been caught up in figuring out women’s ideal body types.
Pressure has always been on women to attain that perfect body, devoid of flab, but endowed with perfect curves to the delight of the eyes of many.
Interestingly, unlike men of you're, the modern millennial man has jumped on the bandwagon in search of the perfect chiselled body.
The pressure has recently been mounting so much so that now more than ever before, men are bombarded with images of celebrities and models with near-perfect bodies.
Several men though, have shared what according to them makes a perfect body type.
According to hip-hop artiste Ohmz Law Montana, it goes beyond having a big muscles to a big fat wallet.
“As a man, always present yourself as high status. Build muscles, yes. But the most important thing is your wallet.
It has to be full. Physically fit is the best body for me considering what my music career.
This has included a workout routine of press-ups and sits-ups every day. And I go to the gym thrice per week.
You don’t need to have a six pack, but a toned stomach is ideal. Have a good smile and a nice scent,” he says.
Shiverenje ‘Shiv‘ Simani, a bodybuilder, fitness trainer and lifestyle influencer, however says looking a certain way is as a result of lifestyle choices.
“If you consistently eat healthy, and work out, then the bonus is that ‘action figure’ body.
You don’t have to have a six per cent body fat like you are about to step on stage, but be aware that a higher body fat percentage and unhealthy lifestyle increase your risk of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension,” he says.
His advise? “Aim to be the best version of yourself through a healthy sustainable lifestyle.” 
Researchers from Bradley University have done some work into male body image, and agree that the trend is for men to desire bigger muscles and leaner bodies.
However, they agree societal assumptions about male body image can be misleading.
Most of what men see on television and in movies are images of muscular, powerful males, and that finitely impacts how men perceive themselves and how society thinks they should look.
There is no one perfect male body type, but the idea of such a thing has definitely changed over the last decade.
The obsession
When Game of Thrones premiered in 2011, people couldn’t stop talking about the show.
The plot, the violence, and, yes, the nudity. Game of Thrones was popular from the go, and so was Khal Drogo, the chiseled character portrayed by Jason Momoa. In 2012, the obsession was for that body type.
Towards 2015-2016, more people started relaxing and being comfortable with the daddy body, which is less stressful to attain and easy to maintain, but between 2018 and 2020 there has been more advocacy on embracing all body shapes, protecting not only women, but also men from body shaming, embracing more plus sizes equally for men.
Betty Musungu and image consultant at Royal Image says image is more importantly about self love and working appropriately with whatever body type and size you are.
“As much as there has been a stereotype towards a certain body size, it is important to understand that people are not the same.
Understand that what works for you might not work for another person,” she says.
Be comfortable
She emphasises the importance of being comfortable in whatever shape one has rather than stressing over how someone else looks.
“Stop looking at what another man looks like and putting unachievable pressure on yourself.
There is always a time when a certain body type would be attractive. Know your body type and where to put the weights (work out), and how to dress.
When it comes to height, there is absolutely nothing you can do as an adult,” she adds.
According to psychologist Zawadi Bella, there is a close psychological relationship between people’s body types and their personalities. This applies for both men and women equally.
“When it comes to relationships, people with big body shapes are psychologically viewed to be nicer compared to people with petite body types.
Big bodied people have good hearts, are generous, are always helpful to others and warm, compared to the skinny people who are more selfish and super sensitive and they will easily pick fights.
Skinny people are just harder to handle compared to big bodied people, no matter the gender type,” shares Bella.
