Mintel has released a new study suggesting that young men are adjusting their life goals in response to a barrage of advertising campaigns featuring ultra-fit models and actors.

The market researcher revealed that 45 percent of men claim that being in good shape is their priority for the future, over and above getting married or being in a long-term relationship (38 percent).

Mintel attributes this new set of priorities to the increasing pressure on men to conform to an ideal body shape. According to the company, 17 percent of men aged 16-24 believe advertising has made them more self-conscious about their appearance, and 26 percent of men surveyed said that men are sexualized in adverts to the same extent as women.

“The trend for using hyper-athletic male models and celebrities in advertising has grown significantly in recent years and resulting in men today being just as sexualized in advertising campaigns as women,” said Mintel Consumer Lifestyles Analyst, Jack Duckett. “Whilst this holds a level of aspiration for some men, for many more it has resulted in feelings of inadequacy.”