The man with carefully sculpted six-pack is everywhere: in Hollywood action films, on magazine front covers, in your social media feed, on dating apps. And so are the online ads telling you how to get the look. But what does it really take to get a washboard stomach? This week, Ruth Alexander hears from three men about the reality of getting ‘ripped’ and how much of it is down to what you eat. They reveal how deeply the experience can affect your relationship with food, your loved ones and yourself

(Picture: Male torso ripped in half. Credit: Getty/BBC)

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Producer: Sarah Stolarz

Contributors:

Graham Isador, writer

Florian Gaffet, massage therapist

Matthew Todd, author ‘Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society’s Legacy of Gay Shame’