Body image is defined as the picture of our own body that we form in our mind, that is, how the body appears to ourselves (Slade, 1994). The concept focuses on the subjective experience – the perceptions and attitudes one has about their body, regardless of their actual physical appearance. A common consensus is that it consists of 2 major components. One is a perceptual component that refers to how we see our body size, shape, weight, physical characteristics, performance, and movement. The other component is evaluative which relates to how we feel about these attributes and how those feelings impact our thoughts and behaviors (Mills et al., 2017). Constant societal and cultural pressures make this term prevalent, and challenging mainstream beauty perceptions is an important step toward fostering inclusivity, acceptance, and well-being. The following text portrays the processes of how these attitudes impact thoughts and behaviors. Additionally, it contains some examples of body dissatisfaction, body dysmorphia and eating disorders that are not detailed.
Framing & Perspectives
Before the late 1980s, body image was primarily viewed as a female problem. Most of the literature focused on eating disorders and other weight-related conditions in women (Cohane & Pope, 2001). However, it is important to acknowledge that this dissatisfaction with body image can occur in all genders, but it can manifest in different ways due to cultural expectations of femininity and masculinity (Cash, 2012).
Body dissatisfaction describes one’s perception of their body characteristics not meeting societal ideals despite their objective size or shape. It is a risk factor for several unhealthy behaviors, which include clinical eating disorders and chronic dieting (Mills et al., 2017). Body concern and dissatisfaction can also lead to individuals undertaking cosmetic surgery and anabolic steroid abuse, which could put their health at risk (Cohane & Pope, 2001; Grogan, 2007). Overall, women exhibit a higher rate of body dissatisfaction than boys and they tend to mostly be concerned with the thinness ideals of beauty. The expressed dissatisfaction of men can also reflect the thin body ideal but is usually directed towards the lack of muscularity, especially in Western societies (Cohane & Pope, 2001). Moreover, body image is a crucial factor for trangender individuals. One study found that post operative trangender individuals showed more body satisfaction and self-esteem, and less exaggerated attention toward their bodies (Kraemer, 2007). Despite growing literature focusing on multiple genders and body image, there is still a lack of research about LGBTQ+ individuals and their relation to their body.
Integrating multiple theories on body image, objectification theory provides a framework for understanding how sociocultural pressures translate into psychological risk factors that can promote body image and eating problems (Moradi, 2010). Although primarily focused on white female students, this theory has been extended to examine heterosexual men’s and multiple minority groups’ experiences. Ultimately, the theory suggests that sexual objectification experiences and gender socialization define people by their bodies and appearance. Such experiences teach to internalize cultural standards of attractiveness and to self-objectify, viewing their bodies from an observer’s perspective (Moradi, 2010). Cash (2012) asserts that when personally internalized, the strong, gender-related cultural messages shape the development of body image attitudes, such as evaluation of or preoccupation with body image. It influences how individuals interpret and react to their own physical characteristics and life events connected to their appearance. This highlights how deeply ingrained these beauty standards can be for an individual.
It is important to acknowledge how ableist beauty standards can be. Stigma theory can be used to take an intersectional perspective as it highlights the challenges people with disabilities face in regard to meeting culturally constructed beauty standards. Differing from a portrayed “norm” and further being restricted in taking part in societal activities, sports or professions, can increase the exclusion for not being able to match the socially imposed body ideal. Ableist body images can result in feeling devalued or deviant, leading to a decreased sense of self-worth, poor body image, or susceptibility to eating disorders (Reel & Bucciere, 2010).
Relevance
Social messages convey expectations about appearance, highlighting what characteristics are or are not valued in society and what it means to possess or lack these physical traits. This socialization regarding appearance takes place through our everyday interactions with one another, such as with family members, friends, acquaintances, etc. (Cash, 2012). The mass media also has a significant role in people’s body image as it shapes and reflects societal standards of what is considered attractive (Mills et al., 2017). Numerous studies have shown that its usage is associated with body image concerns across all genders, and some studies suggest that over time this association might strengthen (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016). Moreover, a common issue is that people often present an idealized version of themselves on social media, posting the most attractive photos of themselves which are sometimes edited and photoshopped. (Fardouly & Vartanian, 2016).
Prevalent movements on social media, such as the body positivity movement, reject unattainable, narrowly defined beauty ideals, challenge current societal messages of beauty, and urge individuals to question the narratives and accept diverse body sizes and appearances. (Lazuka et al., 2020). Despite the noble aim, these movements sometimes tend to maintain normative ideals, such as extreme thinness and weight loss, and might reinforce ableist ideas of body types. Movements such as body acceptance encourage a mindset of neutrality toward one’s own body and aim more towards appreciation of individual abilities. To promote body acceptance and appreciation, protective filtering, and a more inclusive approach to beauty (Tylka, 2018), it is necessary to acknowledge how crucial it is to expand our definitions of beauty, as there is endless space for it.
Keywords: Body Perception, Beauty Standards, Physical Appearance, Cultural Norms, Mainstream, Societal Ideals
Connected terms: Body Liberation, Racialized Beauty Standards, Fatphobia, Ableism, Sexism, Overconsumption, Gendered Ageism, Incel, Acculturation, Representation
References
Cash, T. F. (2012). Cognitive-behavioral perspectives on body image. Encyclopedia of body image and human appearance, 1, 334-342.
Cohane, G. H., & Pope, H. G. (2001). Body image in boys: A review of the literature. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 29(4), 373–379. doi:10.1002/eat.1033
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 1–5. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005
Grogan, S. (2006). Body Image and Health. Journal of Health Psychology, 11(4), 523–530. doi:10.1177/135910530606501
Kraemer, B., Delsignore, A., Schnyder, U., & Hepp, U. (2007). Body Image and Transsexualism. Psychopathology, 41(2), 96–100. doi:10.1159/000111554
Lazuka, R. F., Wick, M. R., Keel, P. K., & Harriger, J. A. (2020). Are We There Yet? Progress in Depicting Diverse Images of Beauty in Instagram’s Body Positivity Movement. Body Image, 34, 85–93. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.05.001
Mills, J. S., Shannon, A., & Hogue, J. (2017). Beauty, body image, and the media. Perception of beauty, 10.
Moradi, B. (2010). Addressing gender and cultural diversity in body image: Objectification theory as a framework for integrating theories and grounding research. Sex roles, 63, 138-148.
Reel, J. J., & Bucciere, R. A. (2010). Ableism and Body Image: Conceptualizing How Individuals Are Marginalized. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 19(1), 91–97.
Slade, P. D. (1994). What is body image? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32(5), 497–502. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(94)90136-8 Tylka, T. L. (2018). Overview of the field of positive body image. Body positive: Understanding and improving body image in science and practice, 6-33.
