By Ng Wan Ching

PENIS envy is real.

Men do want it bigger, especially when they are talking about it or comparing themselves with other men.

How much bigger?

According to a yet-unpublished study of men from over 40 countries, most men measure themselves at about 15cm (6 inches).

But they would much rather be 19cm (7.5 inches) - their ideal length, said clinical psychology student Annabel Chan, 29.

The Singaporean, who is studying at Melbourne's Victoria University, found herself heading into this area of research when her supervisor suggested that she look into how men viewed their appearance and bodies.

Not as well-studied

This area, it seems, is not as well-studied as how women viewed themselves.

Said Ms Chan in an overseas phone interview with The New Paper On Sunday: "Throughout history, the importance of physical appearance has been highly stressed and valued, especially for women."

Research has also shown that, whereas females are generally dissatisfied with their bodies, males tend to be happier with their body weight.

Things have changed.

Recent research show that men, too, experience weight and shape concerns, though their plight has been largely overshadowed by societal attention to women with weight problems, said Ms Chan.

Some studies suggest that, though it may manifest itself in different ways, rates of body dissatisfaction in males are comparable to those reported for females.

A growing literature has emerged, focusing on issues of primary concern to men that include muscularity, height, and baldness.

"This pioneering research challenges the idea that body image disturbance affects only women. It suggests that men have slowly succumbed to societal pressures of idealism," said Ms Chan.

Men are now equally vulnerable targets of the diet- and health-related campaigns that have plagued women for years.

Ms Chan's study results also show that gay men are more likely to use Internet dating, have less confidence in their penis size and lower self-esteem.

"That's probably because they have male partners and are under the scrutiny of other men who are possibly more demanding than female partners," said Ms Chan.

One question in her questionnaire asked men what they thought their body should look like. "Many men think that their body size should be bigger, especially when they are talking to other men," said Ms Chan.

Many also worry more about what their mates think, rather than their partner, when it comes to the size of their penis.

It's a phenomenon called the "locker room syndrome", said Ms Chan, who obtained penis measurements from more than 500 men worldwide, out of more than 700 surveyed.

"That's when they feel they should be bigger whereas when they're on their own, they are quite happy with themselves."

The survey, which was completed online, asked men to measure their erect penises.

Ms Chan said she was a little worried that she would receive some overstated measurements, but the self-reported data fell within the normal range of about 10 to 15cm.

"I thought people would report themselves as being very big, but the measurements have been quite average," she said.

The men, aged 18 to 76, and from 43 countries, were asked to indicate their ideal body size and compare this to what they believed other men would nominate.

A majority, 65 per cent, said their ideal male body size would be smaller than the ideal size suggested by others.

The men were also asked whether they believed they would be a better sexual partner if they had a bigger penis.

Two in three (64 per cent) said yes.

Ms Chan said the men were "more concerned about how their overall body size compared to the perceived male ideal, rather than how their penis size might impact on their sexual relations."

She added: "We have relatively little data about the body image of men, because most of the research in this area concentrates on women.

Don't get much help

"It means men don't really get much help in terms of therapy, and the options out there to get help."

Ms Chan's study will be published in March in a psychology journal.

Her parents, who are funding her studies, don't quite know what to make of her area of interest, she said.

"But as long as I finish my degree, it's okay!" said Ms Chan, who lives in Melbourne with her younger brother who is studying veterinary medicine.

The gregarious, pink-haired ("I've had it pink for ages!") student also met her fiance in an online dating website while doing research for her study. "I had to advertise my questionnaire in all these dating websites," she explained.

According to her, her boyfriend, who is 33 and studying to be a nurse, also thinks the ideal penis size should be bigger than his own.

"But of course I reassure he's fine!" said Ms Chan.

This article was first published in The New Paper.