NEW YORK (AP) -- With all the attention these days on the effect paper-thin models and actresses can have on girls and women, it's worth noting that men can suffer from body image problems, too. "Body image is not just a concern for women," says researcher Deborah Schooler, who's looked into the adverse effects such media images can have on male self-esteem.

"It affects men, too, and it demands attention."

In the past, research has understandably focused mostly on women, and the dangerous eating disorders that can stem from body-related emotional issues. And when looking at men, researchers asked the wrong questions, Schooler argues.

"Asking men about just weight or size misses the boat," Schooler, a research associate at Brown University, said in a telephone interview. What men are more concerned about, she says, are other "real-body" factors, like sweat, body hair and body odor.

In a study published last spring and recently featured in Seed magazine, Schooler, then at San Francisco State University, and a colleague looked at 184 male college students. The more media these young men "consumed", the worse they felt about those "real" aspects of their bodies, the researchers found. "What's good about that image is that it's the picture of health," says David Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health magazine and a best-selling diet author.

"With diabetes rates skyrocketing over the past 70 years, a little more 'lean' wouldn't hurt us."

Indeed, the very concept of the male ideal appears to change with the seasons. "We seem to go from rugged to smooth, rugged to smooth," says the longtime fitness personality Richard Simmons, of "Sweatin' to the Oldies" fame. Body image, says Simmons, who now has a show on satellite radio, "is a very personal, private thing for guys — something they don't want to talk about."

But make no mistake, he says: "Getting into a pair of jeans is just as important for a man as a woman. He wants to look good."

Years ago, Simmons says, when he was overweight, he would turn off the TV when he saw the ultrafit exercise, because it depressed him. Now, he says, at age 58, 148 pounds and "cute as a button," he spends his time trying to convince people to appreciate the bodies they have.

However complicated body-image issues are for men, it seems they will always be more fraught for women.