guardianweekly °" %n Solutions for English Teaching Body image concerns more men than women Level 2 + Intermediate @ Key words Fill the gaps in the sentences u tohelp you. these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers are given slim boobs: chubby belly obsession laxative nose job respondent lean ‘compulsive 1 is an informal word for siomach. (para 1) 2 is an informal term for women's breasts. (para 1) 3 behaviour is impossible to contol and therefore sometimes harmful. (para 3) aA is a medicine, food or drink that helps you to pass solid waste more easly when you use the tole (para 3) 5 A, Person is thin in an attractive way. (para 4) 6. you describe a person as . they are slightly fain the way a healthy baby ora young chilis, (para 4) 7. An 's an emotional state in which something is so important to you that you are ‘always thinking about, in a way that seems extreme to other people. (para 5) A is someone who answers questions ina questionnaire. (para 7) A person is thn and looks physically ft and healthy. (para 8) 10.4 is an operation to change the appearance of someone's nose to make them more attractive. (pare 8) @ Find the information Find the following information in the text as quickly as possible. 1. What percentage of men would give up a year of their fe in exchange fora perfect body? 2. How mary men patcipated inthe survey? 3. What percentage of men were prevented from going to the gym because they were worried about their appearance? 4. What percentage of men had made themselves sick to contol their weight? ‘What percentage were gyi members? \What isthe average gym membership inthe population? © Mami Pabishrs Li 2012 NEWS LESSONS dy image ence mur men han omen /Inmieguardianweekly Body image concerns more men than women. Level 2 « Intermediate Body image concerns more men than women, research finds Denis Campbell 6 January, 2012 1. Recent research has shown that men worry ‘mote about ther body shape and appearance ~ beer belies, ‘man boobs" or going bald ~ than ‘women worty about how they look. More than fourin fve men (80.7%) tak about their bodies imperfections, compared with 75% of women, ‘Simiarly, 38% of men would give up atleast a year oftheir life in exchange fora perfect body — ‘again, a higher percentage than women. 2. “These results tll us that men are concerned ‘about body image, jst lke women. We knew that body talk’ affected women and young people, and now we know that it affects men too,” ‘aid Dr Philippa Diedrichs, from the Centre of Appearance Research athe University of the West of England, which conducted the study of 394 Brtsh men. 3 The survey revealed that men have high levels of anxiety about ther bodies. Some use compulsive exercise, stict diets, laxatives and make themselves sick to ry to lose weight 4 80.7% talked about their own or others’ appearance, eg. weight, lack of hair or slim body. 30% have heard someone refer to their "beer belly’, 19% have been described as ‘chubby’ and 19% have heard people taking ‘about their ‘moobs (man boobs)’. 23% sald ‘concerns about their appearance had stopped them from going to the gym. 63% thought their arms or chests were not muscular enough, 29% ‘thought about their appearance at least five times a day, 18% were on a high-protein diet to increase their muscles, and 16% were on a diet to sim down, 5. spokesperson forthe organization that promoted the research said: "Historically, making conversation about your body is believed to be something only women do. Butts clear from this research that men are also guity of commenting (on one another's bodies, and in many cases this is having a damaging effect Men's high levels of body tlk show that there isa growing obsession with appearance, she added. 6 Almost three in five men (58.6%) said body tlk affected them, usualy negatively, 12% said they ould give up a year of life if they could have their ideal body weight and shape, 15.2% would {give up two to five years, 5.3% would give up six toten years and 5.3% would sacrifice ten years ‘or more, 7 About 4% said they had made themselves sick to conto their weight wile 2.4% said they used laxatives for the same purpose. Almost a third (31.9%) had “exercised in @ compulsive way’ to lose weight, athough that might be partly because 52% of the respondents were gym members, when the average is 123% 8 Respondents of whom about @ quarter were gay men, sad the media and celebrities gave a false picture of physical perfection. “Girls want to be slim and males want tobe big and lean, and ‘while it ist aba thing for people to want to look better, thas become more like a competion, ‘hich has a bad effect on most people's mental health’, sad one respondent, 8 Alan White, a professor of Men's Health at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: “These results worrying but not surprising. There's been a big increase in the numbers of British men having cosmetic procedures such as a nose job or removal of breast issue; thats gone from almost othing to quite a significant industry over the last ten years. Al this encourages a quick fx rather than appropriate diet and physical ness levels.” © Guardian News & dis 2012 Fst published in The Guan 0B01/2guardianweekly ° °"n Body image concerns more men than women Level 2 « Intermediate © Comprehension check ‘Ate these statements tru (7) or alse (F) according tothe text? Men worry about their appearance more tan women do. ‘Amst 60% of men are tec by body tak "More wamen than men would ive up a year of theif in exchange fo aperiect body. Mos ofthe respondents were gay men Some people bame the mea for unrals deals of physical perfection Professor Alan White elves the results ae supsing but ot worn @ Find the word Find the folowing words and phrases in the text. «a two-word naun meaning aft stomach that a man gets rom crnking too much beer over along period of time (para) ‘@ noun mearing @ markon something that spol its appearance (para 1), a noun mearing @ woned feeling you have because you thnk something bad might happen (para 3) ‘a poun meaning fat on a man's chest that ooks hike @ woman's breasts (para 4) _a two-word phrasal verb meaning to lose weight (para 4) a verb meaning fo givo up something important or valuable so that you o other people can do or have something ese (para 6) a noun meaning famous people (para 8) a two-word expression meaning something that can be done qucky in oder to salve @ problem or repair something thats broken though it may not as fng (pare 9) © [Link] expressions Match the words in the left-hand column with these inthe right-hand column to make phrases from 1 90 a. protein 2. stct b. weight 3. tose © down 4. high 4. procedures 5. sim bald 8. body health 7. mental 9. diet 8. cosmetic tak