This ambition affects even small children. In a 2018 study of more than 15,000 US high school students published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, nearly one third of teenage boys aged 13-18 reported trying to gain weight or bulk up. “T he pressure on young men, and boys, to become more muscular has grown,” says Jason Nagata, assistant professor of paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and an expert in body image and eating disorders. “School is probably cancelled until September, so I’ve got a load of time to work on that.” Is there anything you would like to change about your body, I ask Charlie. We went home and you wouldn’t speak to anybody.”
They’re still arguing, fighting, flirting, whatever. They’ll be posing in front of the mirror. You wouldn’t have to look good all the time, whereas they are socialising 24/7, on their phones, Instagram and Snapchat, sending photos. “We might not have seen our friends after school. “It’s massively different to when I was young,” Helen says. “You have to look good on camera, or people are going to judge you,” he says. “The boys want to be fit because he gets a lot of attention from being like this – from girls.” He also gets approval on social media, something that motivates many teenagers. “He’s started a big trend in his year group,” his mother adds. The way he sees it, working on his body is paying off. He no longer gets pushed around by older boys. “It made me feel I can handle myself,” Charlie says. There have been studies that show boys internalise a desire to be muscular as young as six years oldĪnd as he got stronger, he felt better. It channels your energy and controls your emotions.” He did karate twice a week. His mother enrolled him in boxing classes, twice a week, after being told “boxing is very good if you get bullied. “I wouldn’t say I was being bullied, but I was being pushed around by a load of kids, because I was really skinny,” Charlie says. He doesn’t want to damage anything.”Ĭharlie was quite shy as a little boy, according to his mother, and had a slight stutter. I’ve got one who is extremely muscular and lean, and I am still worried. If you’ve got a child who is overweight and eating loads of chocolate, you worry. “Maybe a 13-year-old isn’t supposed to have a 23-year-old’s body.
With thanks for the weights to: But she does worry Charlie might be damaging his muscles. ‘I wouldn’t say I was being bullied, but I was being pushed around by a load of kids, because I was really skinny.’ Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian. Muscles, training and fitness – it’s not the worst vice to have.” “My husband says there are worse things he could be doing. Is she spending more than she should? “Yes, it’s expensive, but everything healthy costs more,” Helen says. “When I was 13, my mum just put a bar of soap in the bathroom and that was it.” Charlie will say, ‘I need charcoal soap – everyone says it’s good for your skin.’ Or, ‘I need ginger shampoo because it’s good for dandruff.’” The recommendations come through Instagram, she says. “I also spend loads on skincare products. “I am probably spending an extra £40 a week on him,” Helen says. Then I go downstairs to have some food, and then go back up again.” After he’s finished, Charlie warms down with five minutes of leg raises, then has dinner: four salmon fillets and rice. “I push myself until I can barely breathe and I’ve got a headache. He works until his muscles can’t take any more. I don’t wear shorts much.” He prefers a pair of joggers and a sleeveless top to emphasise his biceps and shoulders. “I don’t really work on my legs, because no one sees them. His exercises are directed at the parts of his body he most wants to transform: his arms and chest. Instead he has developed his own programme: a rapid-fire routine of push-ups (55 x 3) curls (65 in five minutes) planks (hold for four minutes x 3) biceps curls with dumbbells (150 each side). He wouldn’t be allowed in a gym – the minimum age in most is 16 – but he doesn’t really like the idea anyway, mainly because he wouldn’t know what to do with the equipment. I’ve got one who is extremely muscular and lean, and I still worryĪt 5pm, it’s time for Charlie’s workout, a ritualised activity he does in his bedroom. If you’ve got a child who is overweight, you worry. Now he’d be gobsmacked if I served him chocolate.” He drinks lots of water. “I couldn’t believe it,” his mother says. “I started to get acne and cut down,” he explains. He hasn’t eaten refined sugar since 2017. Charlie snacks on bananas, strawberries, protein yoghurts and expensive juices with ingredients such as broccoli and barley grass.