Men's Health (British magazine)

Last updated
Men's Health
G. Peacock Men's Health.jpg
Graeme Peacock on the January 2003 cover
Editor Morgan Rees
Categories Health
lifestyle
nutrition
fitness
FrequencyMonthly
Circulation 203,053 (ABC Jul - Dec 2013) [1]
Print and digital editions.
Publisher Hearst
Founded1995
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based in London, England
Website MensHealth UK
ISSN 1356-7438

The British edition of the American magazine Men's Health was launched in February 1995 with a separate editorial team, and is the best-selling monthly men's magazine in the United Kingdom, [2] selling more than GQ and Esquire put together. The magazine focuses on topics such as fitness, sex, relationships, health, weight loss, nutrition, fashion, technology and style. The currently editor-in-chief is Toby Wiseman.

Contents

The UK version has maintained the image of the original US version, in particular by promoting the body care, nutrition and all matters relating to the male universe. The concept of aesthetically perfect man is an extreme with the presence on the cover of bare-chested muscular male models.[ citation needed ] Because of this, the magazine has often been criticized for promoting an unattainable model of man. To strengthen the idea of achievability, the staff of the magazine often try out the health and fitness programmes themselves and write about their experiences alongside pictorial evidence. In March 2006, one of the UK writers, Dan Rookwood, appeared on the cover having transformed his body shape while working at the magazine. The staff of German Men's Health have also appeared on their cover,[ citation needed ] and UK fitness editor Ray Klerck has appeared on the cover and within the pages of the magazine as a model.

Cover models

The cover always has bare-chested muscular American male models and personal trainers like Tom Cortesi, Scott King, Jack Guy, Jim Buol, Gregg Avedon, Russell Brown, Owen McKibbin, Rick Dietz, Timothy Adams, Bradly Tomberlin and Rick Arango.[ citation needed ] In 2002, the UK edition started what became a yearly competition to find a reader with a body fit to front the magazine in the hopes that the image of a British "normal guy" would spur other readers to obtain the 'look' and remind them that this kind of physique is obtainable. [3]

The first winner of the UK Cover Model search was 22-year-old Graeme Peacock, [4] who secured a sponsorship contract with supplement manufacturer Maximuscle. There was no contest in 2003, and in 2004 the contest went annual, with the second winner being Neil Laverty, now represented by Compton Model Agency. Winners for 2005 were Ollie Foster (United Kingdom) and Manuel Mera (Spain). In 2006, 21-year-old Mike Fawkes won the competition, in 2007 Chris Whitlow, in 2008 Kevin Goodwin, in 2009 29-year-old James Bayntun, [5] in 2010 Kirk Miller.[ citation needed ] Celebrities such as Jason Statham, Rusty Joiner, Ryan Reynolds, Josh Holloway, Marco Dapper, Gerard Butler, Vin Diesel, Joe Manganiello and Cristiano Ronaldo have appeared on the cover].[ citation needed ]

Cycling team

In 1999, Men's Health sponsored a British UCI Division 3 professional cycle racing team. The Director Sportif was Sid Barras, a former professional cyclist. Although the team achieved numerous successes during the year, sponsorship was not renewed in 2000. Team members included Welshmen Matt Beckett and Huw Pritchard, a medal-winning Commonwealth Games competitor.

Criticism

The content of the U.S. version in the year 2000 was analysed in Stibbe (2004). [6] The findings suggested that Men's Health gave some useful health advice but included images of masculinity that were counter-productive for health promotion. In particular, the form of hegemonic masculinity promoted by the magazine had the potential to promote negative health behaviours such as excess alcohol consumption, excess meat consumption, reliance on convenience food, unsafe sex, and aggressive behavior. [6] The scope of this study did not include how the content of the magazine has changed over time, or how the content of the UK version differs from the U.S. version.

The UK version received strong criticism from psychologist Dr. David Giles from the University of Winchester because of its promotion of a muscular physique as a sign of health.

"The message in typical lads' magazines is that you need to develop a muscular physique in order to attract a quality mate.

"Readers internalise this message, which creates anxieties about their actual bodies and leads to increasingly desperate attempts to modify them." [7]

This magazine, among others has also been linked as a leading cause of the body dysmorphic disorder called " athletica nervosa ".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodybuilding</span> Control and development of musculature

Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes over functional ones, distinguishing it from similar activities such as powerlifting, which focuses solely on increasing the physical load one can exert.

<i>FHM</i> Mens lifestyle magazine

FHM was a printed British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. It contained features such as the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which featured models, actresses, musicians, TV presenters, and reality stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beefcake</span> Form of glamour photography

Beefcake is a performance or a form of glamour photography depicting a large and muscular male body. Beefcake is also a publication genre. A role a person plays in a performance may be called beefcake. The term was believed to be first used by Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky.

<i>Mens Health</i> Magazine

Men's Health (MH), published by Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands.

Frank Sepe is an American fitness author, magazine editor, TV personality, and a fitness model of Italian and German descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pornographic magazine</span> Magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature

Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines or sex magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is the case in softcore pornography, and, in the usual case of hardcore pornography, depictions of masturbation, oral, manual, vaginal, or anal sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugen Sandow</span> Prussian bodybuilder (1867–1925)

Eugen Sandow was a German bodybuilder and showman from Prussia. Born in Königsberg, Sandow became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy.

<i>Slitz</i>

Slitz was a Swedish men's magazine that was published in Stockholm, Sweden, between 1980 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitness and figure competition</span> Form of physique training

Fitness and figure competition is a class of physique-exhibition events mainly for women but also men. While bearing a close resemblance to bodybuilding, its emphasis is on muscle definition, not size. The class was introduced when bodybuilding's popularity began to decline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physique magazine</span> Magazine genre

Physique magazines or beefcake magazines were magazines devoted to physique photography — that is, photographs of muscular "beefcake" men – typically young and attractive – in athletic poses, usually in revealing, minimal clothing. During their heyday in North America in the 1950s to 1960s, they were presented as magazines dedicated to fitness, health, and bodybuilding, with the models often shown demonstrating exercises or the results of their regimens, or as artistic reference material. However, their unstated primary purpose was erotic imagery, primarily created by and for gay men at a time when homosexuality was the subject of cultural taboos and government censorship.

<i>DNA</i> (magazine)

DNA is an Australian monthly magazine targeted at gay men. The magazine was founded by Andrew Creagh in 2000, who also acts as the managing editor of the publication. The magazine features topical news and stories on celebrities, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, pop culture reviews, articles on fitness, grooming and health tips along with photography features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Quinlan (wrestler)</span> Film actor, model, and american professional wrestler

John Joseph Quinlan nickname Stoneface, is an American actor. He is a former bodybuilder, professional wrestler, fitness model, fashion model, art model and romance cover model. In 2012 he was an official image model and brand ambassador for the supplement company Nutrabolics. In December 2015, Quinlan was signed on as the lead male actor for the 2019 film, A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives by producer Jillian Bullock. In February 2020, Quinlan was selected to play the villain role of Marvel Rhino for the TV/Web Series: Spider-Man And The Monsters of Manhattan set to be released in 2024.

Gender in advertising refers to the images and concepts in advertising that depict and reinforce stereotypical gender roles. Advertisements containing subliminal or direct messages about physical attractiveness and beauty have been of particular interest regarding their impact on men, women, and youth. Gendered advertisements have and continue to shape what is expected of a distinct gender, regarding physique and attitude. Not only are these types of stereotypes present in various forms of media, but they also hold significant weight in everyday life.

Francis McGrath is a Canadian IFBB professional bodybuilder and model.

Jim Badra is Greek and Jordanian American former professional bodybuilder, businessman, investor, and spokesperson for health and nutrition. Badra competed in bodybuilding and became a Mr. World Champion in 1988. He was featured on the cover of Muscular Development magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitness culture</span> Sociocultural phenomenon surrounding exercise and physical fitness

Fitness culture is a sociocultural phenomenon surrounding exercise and physical fitness. It is usually associated with gym culture, as doing physical exercises in locations such as gyms, wellness centres and health clubs is a popular activity. An international survey found that more than 27% of world total adult population attends fitness centres, and that 61% of regular exercisers are currently doing "gym-type" activities. Getting and maintaining physical fitness has been shown to benefit individuals' inner and outer health. Fitness culture has become highly promoted through modern technology and from the rising popularity of social media platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Carnerio</span> Brazilian/American personal trainer (born 1987)

Alexandre Marx Carneiro is a Brazilian/American international personal trainer best known for transforming people's body and health. Certified nutritionist & personal trainer, International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness former professional IFBB men's physique, kinesiologist, and celebrity coach. In 2017 Alexandre was published as a health author with his first book ‘Fitting In - The Mask of Health’ discussing the dilemma of contemporary social image in the health world. Additionally, in 2017 Alexandre opened Denver's top private personal training studio teaching his philosophy with his Driven team. Today he is one of the leading authorities of fitness and wellness in the state of Colorado transforming peoples lives and healths. As a television host for the largest Hispanic speaking network, Univision, Alexandre also provides weekly advice on how everyone can benefit from exercise and eating smart for their goals.

Roger Snipes is a British bodybuilder, Fitness model, fitness competitor and fitness trainer. He is winner of Mr. UK, Mr. Britannia in 2010 and Fame UK in 2011. He followed it up with a win at Musclemania 2011. He won the WBFF European Championship in 2013 and took second place in the WBFF World Championship 2015. He has been a Shredz, PhD athlete and WBFF Pro Muscle Model. Team Physique Global

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physique photography</span>

Physique photography is a tradition of photography of nude or semi-nude men which was largely popular between the early 20th century and the 1960s. Physique photography originated with the physical culture and bodybuilding movements of the early 20th century, but was gradually co-opted by homosexual producers and consumers, who favoured increasingly homoerotic content. The practiced reached its height in the 1950s and early 1960s with the inception of physique magazines, which existed largely to showcase physique photographs and were widely consumed by a mostly-gay audience.

References

  1. John Plunkett (13 February 2014). "FHM circulation drops below 100,000". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  2. Men's Health overtakes FHM
  3. Men's Health: The joy of pecs [ dead link ]
  4. Lift man is model worker
  5. Pipe fitter makes final 10 to be magazine’s cover guy
  6. 1 2 Health and the Social Construction of Masculinity in Men's Health Magazine
  7. Magazines 'harm male body image'