Generation Flex World Premiere
Tuesday, December 3
6:30 PM
Studio Movie Grill (Royal Central Center)
11170 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75243
Post-Screening Q & A with filmmakers, Ryan from the film, and other industry experts.
Complimentary
RSVP required to Amy.Wagner@taylorhooton.org
Debut documentary feature from Men’s Health—the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, is set for December 4 release on Apple+, Amazon Prime Video, and MensHealth.com
By Jaime Ellyn Marsanico, Men’s Health Magazine | Contributor
Men’s Health—the world’s largest men’s magazine brand and a top source of information for and about men—announces the release of Generation Flex, a new full-length documentary feature about social media, supplements, and the rise of body dysmorphia in teenage boys. Releasing nationwide on December 4, Generation Flex will be available to watch on streamers including Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, as well as on menshealth.com.
Generation Flex follows four teen boys who decide to bulk up and get cut, entering a dark world of intense social media pressure, shady supplements, and life-changing setbacks. Their quest for unattainable muscle is a chilling warning shot to a generation of boys. Produced by Men’s Health the new documentary Generation Flex is an exploration of the boys growing up at this intersection of social media, unregulated nutritional supplements, and intense peer pressure.
In addition to interviews with the teens and their families, leading experts featured in the film include Bryn Austin, Ph.D., a Harvard professor of social and behavioral sciences who studies boys, social media, and body image; Jason Nagata, M.D., a pediatric clinician and researcher specializing in eating disorders at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospitals; and Brian St. Pierre, R.D., C.S.C.S., Director of Nutrition at Precision Nutrition, an exercise and performance company that works with adult and youth athletes.
Following a world premiere screening event hosted in collaboration with the Taylor Hooton Foundation—the nation’s leader in educating youth on the dangers of appearance and performance enhancing substances—Men’s Health will release the film on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and MensHealth.com. Men’s Health will also host educational screenings of the film in schools across the country.
“We are grateful to the four teenage boys who opened up their lives and minds to us for Generation Flex said Richard Dorment, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and executive producer of Generation Flex.“Through their stories—along with insights from the country’s leading experts on pediatric eating disorders and hypergymnasia— we show how oversupplementation and social media have hijacked these kids’ physical development and self-esteem. The film is honest, it is funny, it is heartbreaking, and it is hopeful, and we hope it reaches and helps a lot of families.”
“As a mom of two boys, the idea for this film came crashing into my life when culture started to live behind a small phone screen in our home,” said Dorenna Newton, head of video at Men’s Health and director & executive producer of Generation Flex. “Raising my sons in this new world of social media, I realized so much of their lives were lived in place that didn’t exist when I was growing up, and it moved so swiftly I couldn’t grasp it until I started to see the physical damage it was inflicting on my son and so many other boys I knew. This is a story that needs to be heard, and we hope it helps other parents recognize warning signs in their kids before it’s too late.”
In coordination with the December 4 release of the film, Men’s Health will release an editorial service package exploring Gen Z’s dangerous quest for gains, including features to help parents recognize the signs of body dysmorphia in teens, tips to help teens build safe and healthy fitness habits, a fitness program designed for developing teenage bodies, a look the states working to ban muscle-building supplements to minors, and more.
The trailer for the Men’s Health documentary feature film, Generation Flex is available to view now at: https://www.menshealth.com/health/a45806901/generation-flex/. For more information and updates on Generation follow the film on Instagram @GenerationFlexFilm and @MensHealth, #GenerationFlex.
Generation Flex is a powerful example of why it’s so important that we’re collectively aware of the body image pressures facing young people and the easy access they have to truly dangerous substances. By educating ourselves and our communities, we can all help prevent more stories like the ones told in this important documentary.” – United States Anti-Doping Agency
“Generation Flex is a must-see awakening about the pressures our youth face regarding body image and the potentially dangerous solutions they are seeking.” – Taylor Hooton Foundation
“An important story and a must-see for parents.” – Eating Disorders Coalition
