Anthropological Perspectives on Physical Appearance and Body Image

Anderson-Fye, Eileen

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-384925-0.00003-1

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…We do note that there is, of course, extensive ethnographic and anthropological work (Anderson‐Fye, ; Bordo, ; Edmonds, ; McClure, ; Nichter, ; Reischer and Koo, ; Talukdar, ; Taylor, ; Trainer, ) focused on body projects, body image, and constructions of “bodies beautiful.” The obese body is a thread that winds through this literature, but more often it is focused on “normal” sized participants and obesity is framed as what a body should not be. We also do acknowledge, by way of redress, that there is a substantial body of “Fat Studies” research, one that prioritizes the voices and experiences of men and women who self‐identify as fat, and that typically has an overt political agenda of publicizing fat‐based discrimination and encouraging “acceptance and health at any size” attitudes (Atkins, ; Bombak, ; Dickens et al, ; Gailey, ; Rothblum and Solovay, ).…”

Section: The Challenges Of Meaningfully Measuring and Classifying Obementioning

confidence: 99%

Translating obesity: Navigating the front lines of the “war on fat”

Trainer

Brewis

Hruschka

et al. 2014

American J Hum Biol

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Translation of social science-oriented obesity research for broader public good requires collaborative work across disciplines and fields, as well as between academics, professionals working in public health and medicine, policy makers, and other key stakeholders. Translation efforts must acknowledge and develop practical programs addressing the "obesity crisis," but also are compelled to question core assumptions upon which obesity-reduction interventions have thus far been based.

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Section: The Challenges Of Meaningfully Measuring and Classifying Obementioning

confidence: 99%

Translating obesity: Navigating the front lines of the “war on fat”

Trainer

Brewis

Hruschka

et al. 2014

American J Hum Biol

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show abstract

“…The “what is beautiful is good” stereotype is powerful and widespread [ 1 ]. People who are more attractive may receive greater attention and concern [ 2 ], receive better judgment [ 3 ]), have more friends [ 4 ], a more successful career [ 5 ], and a longer life expectancy [ 6 ]. An attractive individual is imbued with almost all sorts of positive qualities, especially in western European and northern American cultures [ 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Individuals Perceived as More Attractive within a Group? A Confirmative Study of Group Attractiveness Effect and the Cheerleader Effect in China

et al. 2020

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The stereotype “what is beautiful is good” suggests that having an attractive physical appearance is very important to people’s lives. Physical attractiveness, as an important personal trait, plays vital roles for shaping one’s first impression, and for influencing one’s subsequent evaluation and selection, based on obvious visual features. However, the contextual difference of the physical attractiveness between a group and its group members has been given less attention. For this reason, Van Osch et al. proposed and tested that the perceived physical attractiveness of a group is greater than the average attractiveness of its members (GA-effect), while Walker and Vul found that an individual as a group member is perceived to be more attractive in group context than in isolation (cheerleader effect). Our present work seeks to replicate these two effects on a sample of 1005 Chinese participants to check whether such effects also exist in China, a collectivist culture. Participants were asked to rate the degree of attractiveness presented in each photo stimuli and in each rating condition, and the results show that: (a) the participants’ ratings of physical attractiveness of a group was significantly higher than the average attractiveness of its members (i.e., replicating the GA-effect); (b) the participants’ ratings of physical attractiveness of an individual was evaluated higher in a group than in isolation (i.e., replicating the cheerleader effect); and (c) the larger the group size, the larger the GA-effect. This validating study may aid in understanding human behavior, judgments, and perceptions according to the GA-effect and the cheerleader effect used in a different context in China.

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“…Body image is described as cognitions, perceptions, and attitudes toward one's body [1]. Subjective feelings of dissatisfaction with one's physical appearance can lead to the development of body image dissatisfaction (BID) [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subjective feelings of dissatisfaction with one's physical appearance can lead to the development of body image dissatisfaction (BID) [2]. BID is a predictor of one's self-esteem [1]. The growing concern of BID in women relates to previous studies that support the notion that women today develop high levels of BID, possibly due to the drastic objectifications and body type expectations presented to women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of media exposure on body satisfaction and drive for muscularity in women

Negrin¹,

Skemp²,

Baumann³

2018

Health Prim Car

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The purpose of this study was to determine if exposure to media's "ideal body types" influences women's eating patterns, body satisfaction and drive for muscularity. A primary objective of this study was to examine the difference in drive for muscularity and the risk for the development of muscle dysmorphia (MD) between female athletes and non-athletes. A series of magazine covers were viewed, ranging from thin to muscular and toned, either before or after the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) was administered. It was hypothesized that exposure to images of what society defines as "ideal" body types before an assessment of self-perception and body appreciation will result in a stronger level of body dissatisfaction. It was also hypothesized that a drive for muscularity would be present in female competitive athletes, more so than non-athletes. Surveys were administered to measure body satisfaction, eating patterns, drive for muscularity and susceptibility for the development of MD. These surveys included the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES), Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) and the Muscle Dysmorphia Index (MDI). The results suggest that a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) is correlated with non-athletes striving for thinness, while a lower BMI is correlated with competitive athletes developing a drive for muscularity and risking the development of MD. This research is important to determine the effects of media on female body appreciation and drive for muscularity. Furthermore, this study indicates that competitive female athletes may exhibit a higher level of drive for muscularity and thus, more characteristics of muscle dysmorphia.

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Anthropological Perspectives on Physical Appearance and Body Image

Cited by 25 publications

References 5 publications

Translating obesity: Navigating the front lines of the “war on fat”

Translating obesity: Navigating the front lines of the “war on fat”

Are Individuals Perceived as More Attractive within a Group? A Confirmative Study of Group Attractiveness Effect and the Cheerleader Effect in China

The effect of media exposure on body satisfaction and drive for muscularity in women

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