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While navigating parliament, the highlight of my day is sometimes spending time with my two-year-old son, smiling in his green Crocs, which blend into the Commons’ carpet, blissfully unaware of the world around him.
As parents, we want to protect this joy, but the modern world is a minefield. I’m anxious about the future of social media, with harmful content and toxic influencers threatening our children.
The Netflix series Adolescence has sparked crucial conversations in Westminster about rising online misogyny. The series also highlights a closely linked but less-discussed issue: social media’s impact on body image in young men.
It’s estimated that around 1.25 million people in the UK are affected by eating disorders, with approximately 25% of them believed to be male. However, recent research shows that eating disorders are growing at a faster rate among young men than among women — a concerning trend.
Some young boys are developing a lesser-known condition called “bigorexia,” or muscle dysmorphia. Bigorexia leads boys to engage in extreme behaviours such as excessive weightlifting and steroid use, all in pursuit of an unattainable ideal.
The link between eating disorders and mental health is deeply worrying, with a growing number of boys being diagnosed with eating disorders and three-quarters of suicides in the UK involving men.
This issue has been exacerbated by fitness influencers who, inadvertently or sometimes intentionally, target young boys for commercial gain.
The rise of “Gym Bros” on platforms such as TikTok lures boys into watching glowing reviews about muscle-building products. But on closer inspection, many of these reviews are paid partnerships.
There are thousands of such reviews — promoting “Blazing Berry” supplements and Creatine Candy Bubblegum — but according to paediatric science, the jury is still out on the safety of these supplements for children.
With a lack of age restrictions on advertising and the appeal of attractive flavours, it’s no surprise that young boys are turning to supplements to attain the unrealistic body types they see while scrolling on TikTok.
That’s why, this week in parliament, I’ll urge Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Agency to review the marketing of creatine, supplements, and low-carb diets to young children — before more harm is done.
During a recent visit to a wonderful primary school in my constituency, I saw a wall adorned with smiling faces, uplifting phrases like “body positive,” and space for students to leave compliments — small but powerful steps in fostering self-esteem and well-being. We need to make sure young people are seeing more of this, rather than a malignant mafia of harmful influencers.
That’s why it is vital to change the conversation and highlight positive role models for boys and men. Ones valued not for their strength, but for their positive impact on society.
None of this diminishes the challenges young women face either, from unrealistic body standards to harmful online influencers.
But arguably, one of the most significant challenges facing young women today is the rise of men being influenced by misogyny, fuelled by malicious figures who target boys at a very impressionable moment in their lives.
It’s time to turn the tide on these destructive voices by bringing up a generation of young boys who will be the antidote to toxic masculinity.
With another son on the way, I hope that my boys can become the architects of a future where misogyny has no place — and that they grow up to be comfortable and confident in themselves.
And for any other parent reading this, I hope you feel the same.
Help and support:
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Beat: Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677 and Youthline: 0808 801 0711, or email help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk (adults) fyp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk (youth support)
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Samaritans: Open 24 hours a day, on 116 123
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Mind: Open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
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