13-Year-Old Bodybuilder Is On A Quest For "Perfection"

It’s great that 13-year-old Richard Bruffy has taken an interest in exercise. And we’re not going to wring any hands about a kid pursuing something athletic that is usually associated with adults. That said: some of the words he chooses — “ridiculous goals,” “perfection,” and “perfect body” — are troubling. Isn’t the “perfect” body one that functions properly? Abdominal definition and bulging biceps are not necessarily indicators of tip-top health. Some of Bruffy’s ideas are consistent with the Adonis complex, also known as muscle dysmorphia. At least Bruffy works out with supervision from his dad, who is hopefully teaching the kid that no one is perfect, and imperfections are not failures or flaws.