Muscles, Masculinity, and the Thing We Keep Mistaking for Health

Boys have body image issues too. They're just harder to spot.

Dr. Kyle Ganson is a researcher at the University of Toronto who studies body image, eating disorders, and masculinity in boys and young men. He's also a dad. And yes, his six-year-old already flexes at him every morning.

In this conversation, Dr. Sheryl and Dr. Kyle get into what's actually happening to boys in a culture built around gym influencers, supplement stacks, looks maxing, and bulking protocols — and why parents keep missing the warning signs. (Spoiler: it looks like discipline and it looks like health. That's the problem.)

You'll hear about the 1-in-7 statistic that most parents have never encountered, what muscle dysmorphia actually is and how it shows up in teenage boys, why the "respectful curiosity" approach matters more than rules, and how Arnold Schwarzenegger was genuinely different from what your son is watching on YouTube right now.

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Looking for more support in the in-between years of parenting? Good Inside Teen gives you practical tools, scripts, and expert guidance for the moments that can feel most overwhelming with tweens and teens.

Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible:

• Kt by Knix: Use the code GOODINSIDE for 15% off period underwear
• Girl Scouts: If you have a daughter in kindergarten through 12th grade, visit girlscouts.org to learn more

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