A new and concerning link between men who watch porn and a serious health condition has been discovered, according to a new study.
The study published in Body Image found a significant link between men's "problematic" pornography use and the chances of them developing an eating disorder.
Researchers from the University of Haifa and the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College in Israel conducted the study involving 705 men. They ranged in age from 18 to 68, with the average age being 32, with the study released earlier this month.
About 68 percent of the men said they were heterosexual, with the rest identifying as a sexual minority group.
The men who take part in the study were asked questions about their pornography consumption and if they had engaged in eating disorder behaviours, such as bingeing and purging.
They were also asked about their perceived realism of pornography and if they suffered from anxiety and/or depression.
On top of that, they also had to answer questions about behaviours relating to eating disorders, such as continued dissatisfaction with the way they look and measures of body comparison, when they compared themselves to the bodies they see in porn.
The study also measured their "problematic" pornography use, which was measured using the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale-Short Version.
This included statements such as "I feel that porn is an important part of my life" and "I become stressed when something prevents me from watching porn".
The men involved in the study answered the questions using a seven-point scale. One on the scale meant something never occurred, while seven meant the action occurred all the time.
The results showed - regardless of their sexuality - males with higher levels of pornography consumption were more likely to compare their bodies to those seen in porn and hold a negative image of their own physique.
The results also found that men who watched a large amount of porn resulted in higher instances of eating disorder behaviours, such as restricting, bingeing and purging food.
However, the study noted that it majorly relied on self-reported results from the participants, which could be susceptible to social desirability effects.
The researchers also said problematic pornography use, in addition to eating disorder behaviour, could negatively affect various aspects of a person's functioning and well-being.
"To reduce the risk of developing or worsening eating disorder symptoms, clinicians working with male clients should assess for problematic pornography use and body image concerns during therapy," the study authors wrote.
"Pornography use and eating disorders share common psychological aspects that manifest physically.
"Both pornography use and eating disorders are behaviours that can act as defence mechanisms to repress emotional pain, and both involve some level of shame, stigma, and secrecy.
"In addition, both are characterized by obsession, ritual, but most of all, low self-esteem and low body image."
