Men who are 'couch potatoes' are more likely to want to be muscular and hit the gym, study shows

Experts found that men from wealthy western countries like the UK are more motivated to workout than their Nicaraguan and Ugandan counterparts. However, in all three countries, men that watch more television -- and are therefore exposed more to images of idealised bodies -- wanted to be muscular more. Men who are'couch potatoes' -- those spending a lot of time watching TV -- are more likely to want to be muscular and hit the gym, a study has found Psychologist Tracey Thornborrow of the University of Lincoln and colleagues examined British men's obsession with getting a muscular physique -- along with related phenomena like relying on protein shakes, unhealthy dieting and steroid use. Comparing British men with those from Nicaragua and Uganda, the team assessed each man's body mass index, along with their feelings about peer pressure and their ideal appearance. Participants also ranked the perceived level of muscularity of their current body and their ideal body on the so-called'Male Adiposity and Muscularity Scale.' Designed by the Person Perception Lab at the University of Lincoln, the new scale makes use of two-dimensional images created from 3D software, providing a more realistic range of body types and sizes based on measurements of real people.