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Essays on Body Image

Body image essay topics and outline examples, essay title 1: the impact of media on body image: examining stereotypes, unrealistic standards, and their consequences.

Thesis Statement: This essay investigates the influence of media on body image, highlighting the perpetuation of stereotypes, promotion of unrealistic beauty standards, and the resulting psychological and social consequences on individuals.

• Introduction
• Media Portrayals: Analyzing the Representation of Bodies in Advertising, Film, and Social Media
• Unrealistic Standards: Identifying Idealized Body Types and Their Pervasiveness
• Psychological Effects: Exploring Body Dissatisfaction, Low Self-Esteem, and Eating Disorders
• Social Consequences: Investigating Peer Pressure, Bullying, and Societal Expectations
• Media Responsibility: Discussing Accountability and Potential Solutions
• Conclusion: Reflecting on the Need for Positive Body Image Promotion

Essay Title 2: Body Image and Gender: A Comparative Study of Body Dissatisfaction Among Men and Women

Thesis Statement: This essay examines body image concerns among both men and women, comparing the factors contributing to body dissatisfaction and the unique societal pressures faced by each gender.

• Gendered Expectations: Analyzing Societal Norms and Stereotypes for Men and Women
• Body Dissatisfaction Among Women: Factors, Causes, and Consequences
• Body Dissatisfaction Among Men: Influences, Pressures, and Effects
• Comparative Analysis: Identifying Commonalities and Differences
• Media and Gender: Examining the Role of Media in Shaping Body Image
• Conclusion: Encouraging Inclusivity and Acceptance of Diverse Body Types

Essay Title 3: Promoting Positive Body Image: Strategies for Building Self-Esteem, Confidence, and Healthy Body Image

Thesis Statement: This essay explores strategies and interventions aimed at promoting positive body image, fostering self-esteem, confidence, and a healthy relationship with one's body.

• Body Positivity Movement: Overview and Goals
• Self-Esteem Building: Strategies for Enhancing Self-Worth
• Media Literacy: Teaching Critical Evaluation of Media Messages
• Educational Programs: Implementing Body Image Curriculum in Schools
• Supportive Communities: Creating Safe Spaces for Discussions and Support
• Conclusion: Empowering Individuals to Embrace Their Bodies

Beauty Standards and Media Influence on Body Image

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Perceptions of Body Image and Self-esteem Among Adolescents

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The Negative Body Image Presented by The Media

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Body image refers to an individual's perception, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes toward their own physical appearance, including their size, shape, and overall attractiveness. It encompasses the subjective evaluation and interpretation of one's body, influenced by societal standards, cultural ideals, personal experiences, and internalized beliefs.

The term "body image" originated in the early 20th century and emerged as a concept in the field of psychology. It was first introduced by Austrian-American psychoanalyst Paul Schilder in his influential book "The Image and Appearance of the Human Body" published in 1935. Schilder used the term to describe the mental representation or perception an individual has of their own body. He recognized that body image is not solely based on physical appearance but also influenced by one's subjective experiences, emotions, and cultural factors.

The historical context of the concept of body image is rooted in the cultural and societal values that have evolved over time. Throughout history, different civilizations and time periods have held varying perceptions and ideals of physical beauty. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, physical attractiveness was often associated with ideals of symmetry, proportion, and strength. These ideals were reflected in the art, sculptures, and literature of the time. During the Renaissance period, beauty ideals shifted to embrace fuller figures, as seen in the works of renowned artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. However, in subsequent centuries, a slender and delicate physique became more prominent as the desired standard of beauty. In the 20th and 21st centuries, mass media and globalization have greatly influenced body image perceptions. The rise of fashion magazines, advertising, and the entertainment industry has propagated a narrow and often unrealistic ideal of beauty, emphasizing thinness and specific physical features.

Internal factors include personal experiences, emotions, and cognitive processes. These include past traumas, social comparisons, self-esteem, and the development of one's self-concept. Personal beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts about body size, shape, and appearance also play a role in shaping body image. External factors encompass societal, cultural, and media influences. Societal beauty standards, cultural ideals of attractiveness, and media portrayals of the "ideal" body can significantly impact how individuals perceive themselves. Media platforms, such as magazines, television, and social media, can shape body image by promoting unrealistic body standards and presenting edited or curated representations of beauty. Family, peers, and social interactions also contribute to body image. Supportive relationships, positive feedback, and acceptance from significant others can foster a healthy body image, while negative comments, teasing, or bullying can have detrimental effects.

Positive body image: Individuals with positive body image have a realistic and accepting view of their bodies. They appreciate their bodies for their functionality, health, and unique qualities, rather than solely focusing on appearance. Negative body image: Negative body image involves a distorted and critical perception of one's body. Individuals with negative body image may experience dissatisfaction, self-consciousness, and preoccupation with perceived flaws or imperfections. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): BDD is a psychological disorder characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's appearance. Individuals with BDD may have a distorted body image and engage in compulsive behaviors or seek excessive cosmetic interventions. Body dissatisfaction: Body dissatisfaction refers to a general sense of discontentment with one's body. It can range from mild dissatisfaction to extreme distress and may be influenced by societal beauty standards and cultural ideals. Body appreciation: Body appreciation involves having a positive and accepting attitude towards one's body. It focuses on self-care, self-acceptance, and nurturing a healthy relationship with the body.

Body positivity: There is a growing movement advocating for body positivity, which promotes acceptance and appreciation of diverse body types and challenges traditional beauty standards. Supporters emphasize the importance of self-love, inclusivity, and embracing one's unique features. Body shaming: Body shaming involves criticizing or ridiculing individuals based on their appearance. It can come from societal pressures, media influences, or personal biases. However, there is an increasing awareness of the harm caused by body shaming and efforts to combat it. Unrealistic beauty standards: Many people believe that media and advertising perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards, leading to negative body image issues. These standards often promote thinness, muscularity, or other specific physical attributes, which can contribute to feelings of inadequacy or pressure to conform. Mental health implications: There is a growing recognition of the impact of body image on mental health. Public opinion is increasingly acknowledging the need for support, education, and resources to address body image concerns, including eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and low self-esteem.

Media: In recent years, there has been an increased effort to feature diverse body types and promote body positivity. Brands like Dove have launched campaigns celebrating real beauty, challenging narrow beauty ideals. The popular TV show "This Is Us" has been praised for its portrayal of characters with different body shapes and sizes, promoting body acceptance. Literature: Books like "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy and "The Beauty Myth" by Naomi Wolf have tackled body image issues. "Dumplin'" explores the journey of a plus-sized teen challenging beauty pageant norms, while "The Beauty Myth" critically analyzes the societal pressures placed on women's bodies. Social media: Influencers and content creators on platforms like Instagram and YouTube have played a significant role in shaping body image discussions. Body-positive influencers like Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence promote self-love and body acceptance through their platforms. Documentaries: Documentaries like "Embrace" and "The Illusionists" delve into the impact of media on body image and challenge conventional beauty standards. They examine the relationship between media representation, self-esteem, and body image issues.

1. According to a survey by the National Eating Disorders Association, 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat. 2. Research indicates that exposure to thin-ideal media images can negatively impact body satisfaction and contribute to the development of eating disorders. 3. The fashion industry has faced criticism for promoting unrealistic body standards. In a study analyzing popular fashion magazines, it was found that 70% of women featured were considered underweight. 4. Body dissatisfaction affects both men and women. Approximately 45% of men in Western countries reported being dissatisfied with their appearance. 5. Studies show that individuals who spend more time on social media platforms are more likely to experience body dissatisfaction.

The topic of body image is an important subject to explore and write an essay about due to its widespread impact on individuals and society. Body image issues are pervasive in our culture, affecting people of all ages and genders. Understanding the significance of body image is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, body image has a profound impact on individuals' mental health and well-being. Negative body image can lead to low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and the development of eating disorders. Exploring the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to body image issues can help raise awareness and promote healthier attitudes towards one's body. Secondly, body image is closely linked to societal standards and media influence. Analyzing how media, fashion, and advertising industries perpetuate unrealistic beauty ideals allows us to critically examine the impact of these industries on individuals' self-perception and self-worth. Lastly, body image intersects with various social issues such as gender, race, and body diversity. Addressing body image concerns involves understanding the complex dynamics of identity, representation, and inclusivity.

1. Cash, T. F., & Pruzinsky, T. (Eds.). (2002). Body image: A handbook of theory, research, and clinical practice. Guilford Press. 2. Dittmar, H., & Howard, S. (Eds.). (2004). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment, prevention, and treatment. American Psychological Association. 3. Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (Eds.). (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173-206. 4. Garner, D. M., & Garfinkel, P. E. (Eds.). (1997). Handbook of treatment for eating disorders (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. 5. Grogan, S. (2016). Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women, and children (4th ed.). Routledge. 6. Halliwell, E. (2015). Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women, and children. Sage Publications. 7. Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (Eds.). (2014). The Wiley handbook of eating disorders (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. 8. Rumsey, N., & Harcourt, D. (Eds.). (2005). The Oxford handbook of the psychology of appearance. Oxford University Press. 9. Tiggemann, M. (2018). Positive body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention. Oxford University Press. 10. Thompson, J. K., & Smolak, L. (Eds.). (2001). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment, prevention, and treatment (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.

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Essays About Body Image: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

Essays about body image tackle delicate subjects like insecurities and mental illnesses; to effectively discuss it with tact, see our top essay examples.

The term “body image” refers to how you see and feel about your appearance. Although many support body positivity today and push for body acceptance, studies still show that 86% of women suffer from negative body image and want to lose weight . The inability to accept oneself results in low self-esteem, stress, and depression. Picking body image as your essay topic lets you join the discussion regarding this always-timely issue. Consider the examples listed below as inspiration for your essay:

1. Long Essay on Body Image by Prasanna

2. gender and body image essay by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 3. the negative body image presented by the media by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. social media and body image by anonymous on edubirdie.com, 5. negative body images essay by writer valeria, 1. aspects of body image, 2. body image: the good and the bad, 3. factors affecting teenager body image, 4. beauty pageants: pros and cons, 5. body image and mental health, 6. victoria’s secret models and body image, 7. men’s body image, 8. what is body shaming, 9. knowing what’s real: curating my body image, 10. my journey to self-love.

“People have forgotten the concept of inner beauty. A person should always think of themselves to be perfect in front of the mirror.”

Prasanna explains what body image means, including its consequences in the form of disorders. She delves into how a person’s perception of their physical appearance affects their lives and how it’s now a big problem in today’s society. The author believes cultivating a supportive environment dramatically improves one’s body image. In the end, she reminds the readers how God made everyone unique in their own right and to start having a positive attitude towards their bodies.

You might also be interested in these articles and essays about appearance .

“Online blogs, television, and films all provide examples of perfect female and male bodies. When real people compare themselves to these ideals, they experience dissatisfaction with their body that results in body image issues.”

The essay scrutinizes ideals that trigger someone’s body issues, often leading to physical and mental problems. For example, today’s ideal female body is fit, with low body fat and a slim waist. Meanwhile, men should be muscular with sharp facial features. Because these are the only acceptable “right” bodies, many go through unhealthy diets, take dubious pills, and engage in strenuous exercises. The writer supports the body positivity movement that demands diversity from mass media.

See how to write an essay about diversity if you want to write about it instead.

“The media also provide unrealistic body image that no human can meet without causing harm to themselves.”

Harmful diets, dangerous treatments, expensive surgeries – people do these and many more to achieve and maintain the perfect body presented in mass media. This “false advertising” even results in eating disorders and food-related diseases. The essay adds research findings and relevant cases to support the author’s distaste for mass media’s impact on individuals’ perceptions of themselves.

“… social networking can cause an individual to set a high expectation on themselves. The media encompasses a set thought of what is attractive and what is not attractive.”

While social media is a great platform to promote healthy living, the author brings up how it also presents unrealistic body standards. Although most are thanks to digital editing, photos depicting perfect body images of celebrities, models, and influencers on social media still affect individuals’ concept of how they should look. By constantly seeing these “perfect” photos online, people turn to doctoring their pictures and deluding themselves into thinking they look like something they aren’t. Sometimes, people even go under the knife to replicate their altered photos.

“Seeing overly skinny models in the media does not enhance women’s self-esteem, self-worth or self-image.”

In this essay, Valeria shares her review of the book Understanding Negative Body Image by Barbara Moe which focuses on the culture’s obsession with weight, shape, and body image. The writer includes her favorite part of the book, where flat chests are fashionable in Ms. America. She compares it to today, where bigger breasts and thinner bodies are preferred. Valeria believes the media needs to show more diverse and realistic body shapes to reduce negative body image.

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10 Helpful Writing Prompts On Essays About Body Image

Are the samples above effective in giving you inspiration for your essay? If you’re still thinking of what to write about, you can use the following prompts:

Identify and explain the four main aspects of body image: perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Provide examples to make it easier for the readers to understand how they differ and contribute to a person’s overall body image. Add surveys or research findings to support your statements and increase your essay’s credibility.

You don’t create your body image with your eyes alone. Your feelings and thoughts about your body are also part of the equation. These are all the results of your experiences, whether they are positive or negative. For this prompt, share any encounters that affected how you look at your body. 

Youngsters in their puberty are the most affected by today’s body image pressures. First, discuss factors that significantly impact how teenagers value themselves. Then, share steps to help young people overcome these issues. You can also write down the causes and warning signs of a negative body image.

Write your opinion about the “beauty” standards in beauty pageants and whether you favor them or not. Talk about its benefits and drawbacks to children, adult participants, and anyone who consumes such media. To demonstrate the severity of these standards, present cases where a contestant’s appearance or body became the matter in question.

The pressures of attaining a perfect body take their toll on an individual’s quality of life. These taxing pressures, such as eating disorders, anxiety, and mood swings, spill over the person’s relations and even hinder everyday living. Therefore, incorporate the importance of maintaining a positive body image to achieve healthy psychological and physical well-being.

Victoria’s Secret, a brand known for its skinny models, hired its first-ever plus-size model in 2019 . Find out why the brand made this significant change and how its customers received it. Include your opinion about the brand’s decision. Add if you believe the company did what it did to start a more diverse line of clothing or because it succumbed to people’s demand of wanting to see more realistic bodies in media.

Although most body image essays are about women, men also cope with self-acceptance. Discuss common problems men have to deal with daily regarding their appearance. Integrate how men are described in books and movies and probe how these visuals can affect a man’s ego. To make your essay more compelling, you can also delve into why there are more rigid rules on beauty standards imposed on women versus men.

Explore what encompasses body shaming and add why people do it. Relay to your readers how it affects people with a history of depression, low self-esteem, trauma, and other mental illnesses. Through this prompt, your essay will help raise awareness against body shaming. You might also be interested in these articles about eating disorders .

One excellent way to improve body image is to tailor what you see, especially on social media. Then, remind yourself that these photos are altered and unnatural. For this essay, list steps that can help protect one’s self-image away from the fake “perfect” bodies flooding mass media. For example, add joining groups highlighting edits in photoshop pictures, etc.

Everyone has something they want to change regarding their appearance. Through this essay, share what you did to overcome the struggles of accepting yourself as you are. You can also recommend books that helped change your perspective.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

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Essay: Finding peace with my body image

Rachel Armany, a freshman majoring in journalism, is a Hatchet opinions writer.

Early memories have the power to shape who you are. Everyone has experienced specific things that have influenced how they act and think as an adult. Unfortunately, in my life, many of my formative moments centered around my struggles with body image.

For most of my life, I have been very aware of how others perceive the way I look. My tendency to analyze social interactions in several aspects of my life is sometimes helpful, but often forces me to be harder on myself and the way I look. Ever since I was in high school, whenever I’m around someone I don’t know well – perhaps at a job interview or a school orientation – I actively use body language to make myself appear thinner.

I’m not unique in disliking parts of myself. Most people have things they wish they could change about their appearance. But my size isn’t just something I’ve struggled with “liking.” From a young age, I have believed my weight and appearance were how I would be defined and would dictate how others treat me. I began to think that any weight I gained would just be more of a reason for people to dislike me and that any weight that I lost would account for my popularity.

I never thought less of anyone else who gained weight – it was a completely personal struggle. When it came to my body, I felt like I had to compensate: I had to be funny or smart or artsy to avoid being defined by my physical appearance.

I started to notice that my body didn’t look like my friends’ when I was in fourth grade. I remember sitting with my best friend and asking, “Do you think I’m fat?” Given our age and lack of any education or discussion on body image, she was startled by my question and immediately responded, “No, of course not.” But her response didn’t comfort me. I felt like she said those words out of pity. My friend didn’t mean any harm. In fact, she probably meant to make me feel better. But since then, I have been hyper aware of my body because I realized that the way I see myself isn’t the same as how others see me.

My confidence in my body and weight hasn’t always been dictated by the number on a scale or by the way I feel. But rather, hearing people talk about weight gain as a negative has affected how I feel about myself. One friend always used to tell me I’m on “the good side of plus-sized.” Although that might be an innocent enough statement, all it does is tell me that I’m overweight but not in an aesthetically displeasing way. The statement indirectly warns me of the “bad side of plus-sized” – the scary fate that is being overweight enough to claim the title of “the fat girl.”

Being on the “good side of plus-sized” comes with complications. My mom’s friends used to question her on what she let me eat because they feared I would “get fat.” In middle school, I felt like I had to prove to my friends that I was active and healthy. And even today, I worry over normal weight fluctuations – all to try and avoid people sharing their “concerns” with my size. Although those people might think they’re just looking out for me, they should not feel compelled to comment on my weight if I am not at risk for health problems.

Discussing body image is difficult, especially as a young girl, and even now as an adult. Talking about insecurities is always scary. But with body image, people are quick to tell you that things are just in your head if they aren’t expressing their concerns about you. Even today, hearing things like, “You’re not even fat” does little to help me. Hearing that confirms that if I were a bit heavier I should feel bad about myself and makes me even more fearful that people will judge me for gaining weight.

What I have found to be most helpful is when people allow me to speak openly about why I feel the way I do about my body and talk with me about accepting myself – not about changing it. For example, a positive conversation is one that encourages me to exercise because it makes me feel better, not because I should lose some extra weight. Those conversations are the ones that contribute to my self confidence, because I feel that my voice is being heard, even though the discussion may be more uncomfortable than a friend simply saying I’m not fat.

I understand that sometimes friends or family members may not always know how to respond to someone struggling with the way they look. Those closest to us love us the way we are and want us to accept ourselves, too. So I remain patient with the people in my life, but I am also honest with them. I try to let people know as often as I can when I feel like they are not taking an issue seriously or they are attempting to take the easy way out of an awkward encounter. Ultimately my problems are my own – it is up to me to work on them – but having these conversations with people who care about me helps.

Though my personal struggle with my weight is ongoing, I have made great strides in learning how to live with the body I have. I am beginning to listen to my body and understand how it works in order to develop a healthy lifestyle. I hope to stop overanalyzing and keep developing my confidence, instead of treating a number on a scale as the key to a better life.

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Body image: a better perspective, many people think of body image as a women’s issue or a young person’s issue. in actuality, we all  have a perceived body image that affects so many aspects of our lives — including the opportunities we seek. .

What exactly is body image, and how can we cultivate a better, more healthy image so that we get the most out of life? To learn more, we talked to Dr. Kristine Luce , p sychologist and clinical associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. 

Your body image is defined by your personal perception. 

Dr. Luce defines body image as how a person thinks of, feels about and perceives their own body, and how a person imagines others perceive their body.

“Body image is an aspect of identity. Most people tend to self-identify by segmenting their lives into different roles. For example, a person may self-identify according to their profession, relationships, hobbies, etc. Body image is one aspect of a person’s complete identity, and within it a person can hold many perceptions, even contradicting perceptions.”

Although body image is commonly understood as having to do with weight and shape, the term actually encompasses all aspects of a person’s perceived physical appearance  — including age, facial attributes and gender. 

Body image exists on a continuum.

Dr. Luce views body image along a continuum, with “positive body image” on one end, “negative body image” on the other and the middle composed of varying aspects of both. 

Dr. Luce describes a positive body image as a healthy self-image, in which a person has self-compassion and appreciation for their body. They recognize the amazing functions of their body and don’t let how they feel about their appearance limit how they live their life. On the other end of the spectrum, a person with a negative body image tends to be strongly self-critical and less attuned to the beneficial capabilities and functions of their bodies. 

Most people, however, do not fall on one extreme or the other. The vast majority of people have varying degrees of appreciation and criticism for their bodies. Terms like “positive” and “negative” tend to be inadequate for fully capturing a person’s felt experience, which is generally more nuanced than binary. For example, when speaking about body image, a person may “fragment” and speak about parts of their bodies they like, and parts that they don’t like. Others might describe feeling positive about their bodies overall, but still want to change certain physical aspects.

A person’s body image is dynamic and ever changing throughout the lifespan. People tend to move along a continuum of how they perceive themselves at various stages of life, such as when they age or gain or lose weight.

Many factors contribute to a person’s body image.

Dr. Luce explains that we are constantly inundated with body image messages from many different sources, including history, economics, religion, family of origin and the media, which is the most prevalent.

Luce describes a series of studies conducted in Fiji before western TV was brought to the island. At that time there were no known cases of eating disorders in Fiji. The studies revealed that the first cases of eating and body image disorders emerged after western TV was brought to their culture, indicating that media presence was at least a contributing factor in how people perceived their bodies. 

“Culture has long influenced body image by defining and dictating what is attractive. The media is a strong force that can shape and influence culture, for better or for worse.” 

Other societal factors, including economic history and religion, can also contribute to one’s body image. Luce mentions that a higher body weight used to be a sign of fertility and wealth when resources were more scarce, but as resources have become more accessible, thinness or fitness is seen as a symbol of wealth because it indicates more time for self-care. For some religious groups, a thinner appearance could indicate a greater ability for fasting, which is associated with the virtue of self-control and used as a measure of spiritual virtue. 

Finally, an individual’s personal history and upbringing can influence the way they perceive themselves and their bodies. For example, if someone is raised in a household or social environment in which a person’s value is very closely tied to their physical appearance, a person may begin to perceive their bodies as a measure of their self-worth. 

With the constant onslaught of information we are receiving about how we think we should look, Dr. Luce assures us it is understandable if we feel pressure to look a certain way. 

Body image can impact the choices we make in our lives.

Put simply, overconcern about appearance can limit what opportunities a person seeks. Dr. Luce gives several examples of this phenomenon, termed “self-handicapping” in social psychology. Self-handicapping is a cognitive strategy in which people avoid an opportunity to protect their self-esteem against the possibility of failure. For example, if a person makes the assumption that they will be discriminated against because of their appearance, they may not go for a promotion. 

“Research on this subject shows that a strong enough limiting self-belief can restrict access and experiences throughout the lifespan. This is based on an assumption that may or may not be true.”

Other common examples of self-handicapping due to body image include postponing dating until reaching a particular appearance or avoiding visiting the doctor until reaching a desired weight. According to Luce, these are paradoxical approaches that rarely work, and often bring us further from our desired outcomes. 

“When you think about it, most people want to look a certain way for more access in life, whether it be jobs, partners, health or something else. By avoiding promotions, dating and doctor visits due to body image concerns, our access to our desired outcomes becomes more and more limited. On the other hand, people who feel positively in their bodies are more likely to seek out opportunities in all of these areas.”  

Negative body image persists throughout different demographic groups.

According to Luce, there used to be evidence that negative body image occurred more for women than for men, and more for white women than for other ethnic groups — but the gap has narrowed over time.

“In the last 20 to 30 years, there has been a proliferation of body image marketing to every ethnic group and gender. Now you can find body image advertising that targets everybody, thus increasing body image concerns and eating disorders across all types of people. I call it, ‘equal opportunity in the direction we were not hoping for.’”

Research conducted in the 1980s showed it was rare for people to feel positive in their bodies, which is a feeling that still persists, according to a 2018 poll .

There are many strategies for cultivating a more positive body image.

Dr. Luce encourages her patients to act according to their values rather than their negative self-beliefs. An example of this would be encouraging someone to go to the beach, if that is what they enjoy, even though they might also feel uncomfortable in a bathing suit. This is called a “cognitive dissonance intervention,” based on the theory that increasing the tension (or dissonance) between a person’s thoughts and actions will eventually create a new belief. Dissonance interventions are really about being aware of one’s values, living in alignment with them and not letting one’s beliefs limit opportunities in life. 

“Sometimes the discomfort gets better at first, and sometimes it takes a while. But feeling the warmth of the sun or the coolness of the water can make the volume of those negative thoughts turn down, or at least fade them into the background.”

Another intervention, applied on a more macro scale, is counter-attitudinal marketing, which features people of various body sizes, shapes and ethnicities in advertisements.

“I used to have a lot of optimism around counter-advertising and counter-marketing as a strategy for improving body image across culture. I still believe it can work for people who are open to it.” 

However, counter-attitudinal ads represent a very small percentage of mass media and social media images. The vast majority of media displays are not representative of the average body type: many are altered by image editing applications like Photoshop and filters, and some even represent an unhealthy body image. By understanding this fact, and being selective of our media exposure, we can begin to combat some of the negative effects of body image marketing.  Luce acknowledges this is not an easy feat:

“Negative body image beliefs are deeply entrenched for some people and changing these thoughts, for some, can be very challenging.” 

Luce goes on to describe how undoing a belief can be harder than building a new one, especially when we are exposed to so many media images and messages that are constantly reinforcing certain ideas. 

  Dr. Luce also encourages us to think about the way we speak about bodies and how this might affect body image for ourselves and our communities. 

“We can all refuse to engage in conversations about other people’s bodies. By choosing to not engage in appearance-based conversations, we can influence the world by modeling our values.”

A similar strategy is reconsidering our appearance-based decisions as a message to the world. Dr. Luce admits that she doesn’t color her hair because she doesn’t want to give into the pressures around ageism. However, she acknowledges this type of action can be challenging because ageism and appearance-based discrimination exists in many fields. 

“I am a psychologist in academia, so looking ‘old and wise’ is still valued. I recognize there are many people who feel they have to look a certain way to keep their jobs.”

Although we may not all be able to take such a strong action, everybody can do something to show the perception of feeling comfortable in the body they have. By choosing an alternative action that goes against societal pressures around body image, we can make changes that influence ourselves and the world around us.

Dr. Luce closes with a note of encouragement. “Body image is not static. Throughout life we move along a continuum of how we perceive ourselves. Regardless of how we feel about it at any given moment, we can have a full and meaningful life in the bodies we have.”

Mia Primeau July 2020

Select resources: Stanford Health Image Body Program The Body Positive Stanford Research Project Stanford Children’s Health: Boost Your Teen Daughter’s Body Image National Eating Disorders: The Body Project

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One Way to Improve Body Image at Any Age: Write About It

Writing about your body's abilities can help improve your body image..

Posted April 16, 2021 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• Body dissatisfaction affects people of all ages and genders.
• A reflection and writing task focusing on body functionality has been shown to help improve body image.
• Anecdotal evidence supports new research findings regarding the benefits of writing to improve body image.

“It took a while to stop looking at my body as an it instead of me; we are one.” —From Anonymous’ story in MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting , Weight, & Body Image Issues

Our scientific understanding of body image is based predominantly on research examining adolescent and young adult women’s body images. Historically, the assumption has been that these age and gender groups are most vulnerable to body dissatisfaction and related disordered eating .

However, in some of my own research, I’ve found that older women report high rates of body dissatisfaction. In one study of women who were 60 years old on average, 84% of women reported some degree of body dissatisfaction. In another study of women who were 55 years old on average, women were likely to report body dissatisfaction and their dissatisfaction predicted anxiety and depression . It appears that body dissatisfaction does not necessarily cease to be a concern as women age—and the consequences of dissatisfaction can be serious.

Most of the prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing body dissatisfaction also focus on young women. Fortunately, some of these strategies can be adapted for other demographics. One such example is the use of writing and reflection tasks, whose efficacy has just been examined in a recently published study . The investigators, Drs. Rachel Weaver and Kate Mulgrew, asked women to generate 10 positive statements about their physical appearance or their bodies’ physical functionality.

They found that women who reflected on their body functionality — what their body can do and why this is meaningful to them — were most likely to experience improvements in their body image. Women who wrote positive reflections about their physical appearance also reaped some benefit from the writing task, but not as much as women who focused on their bodies’ functionality.

In correspondence with Dr. Mulgrew, she suggested, “The key is to appreciate all of the wonderful things that our bodies allow us to do and to diversify how we think about our body. We want to encourage a greater connection with the body—known as embodiment—wherein we focus on how our body feels rather than how it looks.”

The positive body image benefits of a writing task may seem counterintuitive, given that there are endless products, plans, and prescriptions marketed to all of us as remedies for body dissatisfaction. It is easy to believe that weight loss or new clothes are required for body satisfaction.

Sharing Personal Stories Can Also Improve Body Image

The study’s findings are supported by anecdotes shared in a new book, MeaningFULL:23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues . As the title suggests, the book offers stories of individuals of varied ages and backgrounds who have struggled with their body image and, in some cases, eating disorders.

Alli Spotts-De Lazzer (49 years old) is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and the book’s editor and she offers commentary throughout. She indicated that her interviewees found it helpful and even healing to share their stories. They were motivated to help others and many expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work through parts of their past. They didn’t participate in a writing task in quite the same way that participants in Weaver and Mulgrew’s study did, but nonetheless seemed to reap similar benefits.

Alli shares her own story in MeaningFULL as well. She writes, “Taking the time to be thoughtful about my journey seemed to give my own soul some calming and closure. I also found increased self-compassion. By writing as an observer of my life, it allowed me to become kinder and more patient about my young self's inexperience, confusion, and naivety.”

With both empirical and anecdotal evidence suggesting the value of writing about one’s body image, what are you waiting for? This body image “work” does not need to be time-consuming to be beneficial. Dr. Mulgrew believes that “although writing tasks have long been used in psychology as a way of recording and making sense of our experiences and there is some benefit initially of putting ideas on paper, I don’t think the benefits can only come from writing. We can come to appreciate our bodies through a variety of creative outlets.”

Whether you have the goal of sorting out your own body image journey across several decades or focusing on your body functionality right now, spending some time in positive reflection about your body may prove to be a meaningful investment. As women in their 40s and 50s who contributed to MeaningFULL conclude:

“I face myself daily, and so I feel thankful for a unique upbringing that allows me to live in the following truth: I will not wait for my body to be smaller to do things and live fully. Otherwise I will miss out on life.” — Laura’s story in MeaningFULL

“I now love myself. Yes, I know that’s a big word, but I see loving oneself as liking, being kind to, and accepting the many parts of self, inside and outside—like how you would treat someone you love.” — Veronica’s story in MeaningFULL

“I respect my body. I love what it does for me and the adventures it takes me on. I only have one, and I have much gratitude towards it for never giving up on me. It takes care of me, and for the rest of my life, I will do the same.” — Shannon’s story in MeaningFULL

Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and director of the health sciences program at Rutgers University.

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Header menu - drawer | united kingdom, body image report: introduction, what is body image.

‘Body image’ is a term that can be used to describe how we think and feel about our bodies.  

Because these thoughts and feelings can be complex, approaches to defining and understanding body image are varied and can include: how we view our bodies and how accurate this perception is; how satisfied we are with our bodies and appearance; how we experience our bodies in our environment; how much we value what other people think about our bodies and appearance; and how much other people’s opinions about our appearance affect our feelings about ourselves (1–4) . 

Often, when we talk about ‘poor body image, we are referring to a feeling of being unsatisfied with our body – either because of appearance or the way it functions. This is described as ‘body dissatisfaction. In contrast, positive body image can be described as being satisfied with our body, holding respect, appreciation and accepting of its abilities, and having a healthy balance between valuing our body and valuing the other aspects of ourselves that make us ‘us’ (2,3,5) .

How comfortable are we with our bodies?

Feeling unhappy with our appearance is a relatively common experience. The Mental Health Foundation conducted a survey with YouGov in March 2019 of 4,505 UK adults.

Our survey found that while 21% of adults felt ‘satisfied’ because of their body image, in the past year, one in five people (20%) have felt ‘shame’ and just over one-third (34%) have felt ‘down or low’ in the past year because of their body image. Our survey suggests higher numbers than the 2013 British Social Attitudes Survey, where one in twenty men and one in ten women were dissatisfied with their appearance (6) . 

In the past year, one in five people has felt ‘shame’ and just over one-third have felt ‘down or low’ in the past year because of their body image.

Body image and appreciation is relevant across our lives, from youth through to later life. The proportion of women in the British Social Attitudes Survey saying they were satisfied with their appearance was similar among those aged 18–34 and those over 65 (6) . This was similar to our survey, where 30% of adults aged 18–24 reported feeling ‘satisfied’ because of their body image in the last year, compared to 24% of adults aged 55+.  

While women and girls are often more likely to report being unsatisfied with their bodies, men and boys are also affected by body image concerns. A survey in 2016 found that 10% of secondary school boys have said they skipped a meal to change their appearance, and 10% would consider taking steroids to achieve their goals (7) .  

As a society, we tend to place great importance on our appearance. Nearly half of adults (47%) in the British Social Attitudes Survey felt that ‘how you look affects what you can achieve in life’, and nearly one-third (32%) felt that ‘your value as a person depends on how you look’ (6). Therefore, how we think and feel about our bodies is something that can affect us throughout our lives and has far-reaching implications for our feelings about ourselves and our mental health and wellbeing.  

How does body image link to mental health?

Body image concerns are not a mental health problem in and of itself; however, they can be a risk factor for mental health problems. Research has found that higher body dissatisfaction is associated with a poorer quality of life and psychological distress (8) , a higher likelihood of depression symptoms (9,10) and the risk of unhealthy eating behaviours and eating disorders (10,11) . Conversely, body satisfaction and appreciation have been linked to better overall wellbeing (12) and fewer unhealthy dieting behaviours (5,13) . 

This is reflected in our survey, where just over one-third of adults said they felt anxious (34%) or depressed (35%) because of their body image, and just over one in eight (13%) experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings because of concerns about their body image. In a second new survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation with YouGov in March 2019 of 1,118 GB teenagers aged 13–19, 40% felt worried, 37% felt upset, and 31% felt ashamed about their body image. 

One in eight adults experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings because of concerns about their body image.

Body image is closely linked to mental health problems such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. BDD is a mental health problem where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance that are often unnoticeable to others, to the point that it affects their daily life (14) . Poor body image is a risk factor for any part of the diagnostic criteria of these conditions (11) . There is extensive research on body image's role in eating disorders and body dysmorphia and how these conditions can best be treated and prevented. In the current report, we focus on general body image concerns rather than specifically concerning eating disorders or BDD. A review of the literature on eating disorders or BDD treatment is beyond this report's scope. Still, resources for further reading in this area can be found on the NHS information pages for  body dysmorphic disorder  and  eating disorders , as well as from voluntary organisations such as  Beat ,  Anorexia & Bulimia Care  and  YoungMinds . More information on the recommended guidelines for treating  eating disorders  and  body dysmorphic disorder  can be found in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.   

It is important to note that body image research often looks at the characteristics of a group of people at a single point in time. This can make it hard to determine which factors cause poor body image or common mental health problems. For example, feeling dissatisfied with your body may cause you to feel depressed, or it may be that you are more likely to feel dissatisfied with your body if you are already experiencing depression. The research that does look at these changes over time suggests it may be a combination of the two and that sometimes body dissatisfaction may predict or otherwise affect the development of depression or anxiety symptoms (15,16). In other contexts, symptoms may predict body dissatisfaction (15,17) . 

What affects body image?

How our experiences and environment affect our body image will differ for everyone. Overall, however, the research suggests that body image may be influenced by our relationships with our family and friends (18) ; how our family and peers feel and speak about bodies and appearance (19); exposure to images of ‘idealised’ or unrealistic bodies through the media or social media (1,20,21) ; and pressure to look a certain way or to match an ‘ideal’ body type (21) . 

Valuing and holding oneself against an unrealistic, ‘ideal’ body type is often referred to in the research as ‘internalisation of the ideal’. It is commonly linked to developing poor body image through feelings of shame or distress when this ideal is not met (21) . What this ideal looks like will shift across cultures and can vary between genders. In Western cultures, it is common for the ‘ideal’ for women to be thin body shapes but with maintained curves (referred to as the ‘thin ideal’), while for men, the ‘ideals’ are being taller and having a muscular body shape.  

From a therapeutic perspective, the ‘internalisation of the ideal’ can be understood as part of a process of internalising a shamed body image. Shame is an emotion that we are all born with the capacity to feel, which, in its healthy form, can be adaptive, as it prompts us to attend to ruptures in our relationships with others by making amends and repairing interpersonal relationships connections. In contrast, unhealthy shame is the feeling of being apart or isolated from others due to feeling inadequate, defective or not good enough (22) . Body shame can become internalised and unhealthy when we experience consistent shaming messages about our bodies either directly (through criticism, teasing or bullying) or more indirectly (by being excluded or avoided, or consistently exposed to non-thoughtful language or unrealistic images of ‘ideal bodies’). Once internalised, this sense of shame operates regardless of how our bodies actually look or function. 

All of this suggests that body image is a complex and often very personal experience. Its relationship to mental health is important, influenced by many aspects of our environment that shift and change across our lives.  

Body image is a complex and often very personal experience.

Read more on the Body Image report and related articles

Body image in adulthood.

As in childhood and adolescence, increased body dissatisfaction in adulthood has been linked to an increased likelihood of depressive symptoms, psychological distress and disordered eating and eating disorders. Positive body image in adulthood has been linked to better overall wellbeing and quality of life.

Body image and long-term health conditions

Body image is an essential issue for many people affected by long-term health conditions related to mental or physical health. The body image of individuals with long-term conditions or disabilities are informed by factors discussed in previous sections, as well as the often significant changes to appearance and functioning that can accompany illness and disability and affect how we think about and experience our bodies.

Body image, sexual orientation and gender identity

While people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) experience body image concerns in ways that are generally similar to those who identify as heterosexual, their experience and relationship with their bodies are likely to differ in specific ways.

How can we protect, promote, and maintain body image?

Everyone has a right to feel comfortable and confident in their skin, and we can take small actions in our daily lives to help foster a more accepting environment.

1. Burrowes N. Body image - a rapid evidence assessment of the literature. [Internet]. London; 2013. Available from:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/body-confidence-a-rapid-evidence-assessment-of-the-literature  

2. Government Equalities Office. Body confidence campaign progress report 2015. [Internet]. London; 2015. Available from:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/body-confidence-progress-report-2015  

3. National Citizen Service. Taking action on body image An active citizenship toolkit for those working with young people. [Internet]. 2014. Available from:  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370677/Body_image_final_17.10.14.pdf  

4. British Youth Council. A body confident future. [Internet]. 2017. Available from:  http://www.byc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Youth-Select-Committee-A-Body-Confident-Future.pdf  

5. Andrew R, Tiggemann M, Clark L. Predictors and Health-Related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls: A prospective study. Dev Psychol. 2016 Mar;52(3):463–74.  

6. Government Equalities Office. Body confidence: Findings from the British Social Attitudes Survey October 2014. [Internet]. London; 2014. Available from:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/body-confidence-a-rapid-evidence-assessment-of-the-literature  

7. Credos. Picture of Health? [Internet]. 2016. Available from:  http://www.adassoc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Picture-of-health_FINAL.pdf  

8. Griffiths S, Hay P, Mitchinson D, Mond J, McLean S, Rodgers B, et al. Sex differences in the relationships between body dissatisfaction, quality of life and psychological distress. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2016 Dec;40(6):518–22.  

9. Jackson KL, Janssen I, Appelhans BM, Kazlauskaite R, Karavolos K, Dugan SA, et al. Body image satisfaction and depression in midlife women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Arch Womens Ment Health. 2014 Jun 13;17(3):177–87.  

10. Goldschmidt AB, Wall M, Choo THJ, Becker C, Neumark-Sztainer D. Shared risk factors for mood-, eating-, and weight-related health outcomes. Heal Psychol. 2016 Mar;35(3):245–52.  

11. Smolak L, Levine MP. Body Image, Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders: Connections and Disconnects. In: Smolak L, Levine MP, editors. The Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders, Assessment, Prevention, Treatment, Policy and Future Directions. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2015. p. 1–5.  

12. Swami V, Weis L, Barron D, Furnham A. Positive body image is positively associated with hedonic (emotional) and eudaimonic (psychological and social) well-being in British adults. J Soc Psychol. 2018 Sep 3;158(5):541–52.  

13. Gillen MM. Associations between positive body image and indicators of men’s and women’s mental and physical health. Body Image. 2015 Mar;13:67–74.  

14. NHS. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) [Internet]. Health A-Z. 2017 [cited 2019 Apr 2]. Available from:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-dysmorphia/ 

15. Sharpe H, Patalay P, Choo TH, Wall M, Mason SM, Goldschmidt AB, et al. Bidirectional associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms from adolescence through early adulthood. Dev Psychopathol. 2018 Oct 16;30(4):1447–58.  

16. Vannucci A, Ohannessian CMC. Body Image Dissatisfaction and Anxiety Trajectories During Adolescence. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2018 Sep 3;47(5):785–95.  

17. Bearman SK, Martinez E, Stice E, Presnell K. The Skinny on Body Dissatisfaction: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Girls and Boys. J Youth Adolesc. 2006 Apr;35(2):217–29.  

18. Holsen I, Jones DC, Birkeland MS. Body image satisfaction among Norwegian adolescents and young adults: A longitudinal study of the influence of interpersonal relationships and BMI. Body Image. 2012 Mar;9(2):201–8.  

19. Neves CM, Cipriani FM, Meireles JFF, Morgado FF da R, Ferreira MEC. Body image in childhood: An integrative literature review. Rev Paul Pediatr. 2017;35(3):331–9.  

20. Holland G, Tiggemann M. A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image. 2016; 17:100-10.  

21. Cafri G, Yamamiya Y, Brannick M, Thompson JK. The influence of sociocultural factors on body image: A meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Sci Pract. 2005 May 11;12(4):421–33.  

22. DeYoung PA. Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame: A Relational/Neurobiological Approach. New York: Routledge; 2015. 190 p. 

Body image and mental health

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Body image as a global mental health concern

Rachel f. rodgers.

1 APPEAR, Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

2 Department of Psychiatric Emergency & Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France

Katherine Laveway

Priscila campos.

3 NICTA, Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Group, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil

Pedro Henrique Berbert de Carvalho

4 AMBULIM, Eating Disorders Program, Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Peer Review Summary

Body image concerns related to weight or other dimensions of appearance are now prevalent on a global scale. This paper reviews the theoretical frameworks that account for the global similarities and regional differences in rates and presentation of body image concerns, as well as reviewing the extant data. Given the harmful consequences of body image concerns in terms of mental and physical health, their global burden is high. Interventions to mitigate these concerns at the individual and systemic level are warranted.

Impact statement

Body image concerns include preoccupation and dissatisfaction with the body’s appearance including its shape and weight as well as other characteristics. Body image concerns are present across the globe due to strong pressures to pursue appearance ideals. Although these concerns may vary with cultural context, their prevalence and association with poor mental and physical health are global. Given these high rates and the negative effects of body image concerns, it is important to increase our efforts to prevent and decrease them across the globe.

Introduction

Body image is a multidimensional construct encompassing the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of an individual related to their own appearance (Cash, 2004 ). Body image is often conceptualized as including both an evaluative aspect (satisfaction or concern with appearance) and an evaluation of the centrality of body image to an individual’s identity (Jarry et al., 2019 ). Historically, much of the empirical research has focused on body image from a deficit lens, in particular as a risk factor for poor mental health and psychopathology including eating disorders and other mental health concerns. In addition, this work has been helpful in highlighting body image concerns as a mental health concern in its own right. Nevertheless, more recently increasing attention has been focused on body image through a positive psychology lens (Tylka and Wood-Barcalow, 2015 ) and the ways in which positive body image can be related to well-being. As part of this focus on positive body image, more attention has been paid to nonappearance dimensions of body image such as functionality and embodiment (Piran, 2019 ; Alleva and Tylka, 2021 ).

Much of the early literature in the area of body image, up until the new millennium, stemmed from English-speaking high-income countries. In recent years, this literature has been expanded to include work from a range of countries and geographic regions. The aim of this review is to offer a critical synthesis of the literature that exists on body image at a global level. First, prevailing theoretical frameworks that have guided this work will be reviewed. Second, the existing data regarding body image at a global level will be summarized. Finally, implications and future directions will be offered.

Theoretical overview

Several theories have been developed to usefully guide investigations into body image. These frameworks place important emphasis on the role of elements at different levels, ranging from theories focusing on macro-level elements such as social discourse and institution, and those centered on the role of individual-level factors. Here, dominant theories are presented in order of narrowing lens, from the macro- to individual level.

Body capital

The acceleration of highly visual culture, facilitated by digital technologies in recent years, has exacerbated the extent to which the body’s appearance is a central source of capital for individuals worldwide (Bourdieu, 2018 ). Body capital consists of two distinct dimensions: (1) the amount of body capital held by an individual and (2) the extent to which individuals are encouraged to invest in their body as a source of capital. Both of these dimensions are related to the matrices of power and privilege that underpin the majority of contemporary societies in which certain bodies hold more social power than others. Thus, a body that is read as holding certain identities and that is closer to social beauty standards will hold more body capital. Conversely, individuals whose identities afford them lower power and privilege, such as Black and Indigenous People of Color, and those who live in larger bodies, are more strongly encouraged to invest in their appearance as a source of capital. This perspective is relevant when considering who within a certain group is thus more likely to experience their body as related to their experiences of oppression, while concurrently experiencing it as a modifiable source of potential capital (Edmonds, 2007 ; Hunter, 2011 ).

Sociocultural theories

Sociocultural theories highlight how messages from broad social discourses, relayed by proximal sociocultural agents (such as the media or the interpersonal environment), influence individuals’ beliefs regarding appearance and thereby their body image. Thus, for example, social discourses regarding the moral value of pursuing an appearance that conforms to external standards, including in terms of weight, and that encourages individuals to discipline and self-monitor their bodies have been useful (Thompson et al., 1999 ; Fitzsimmons-Craft, 2011 ). In addition, these theories have made important contributions in highlighting the increasing demands placed on individuals in terms of appearance standards, the unrealistic nature of beauty ideals, as well as their progressive globalization (Widdows, 2018 ). While it is true that appearance ideals vary across cultures, as well as social identities including gender and sexual orientation, it is also the case that a globalized ideal that is slender, toned yet curvy for women and muscular and lean for men, and golden in skin tone is emerging (Widdows, 2018 ). These theories also highlight how these socially constructed appearance standards serve political and economic goals as their inherent unattainability generates large financial profits as individuals strive to pursue them, while their perpetuation of oppressive social hierarchies contributes to maintaining the existing systems of power and privilege (Hesse-Biber et al., 2006 ; Rodgers, 2022 as cited in Aimé, 2022 ). Empirical work grounded in these theories has been useful in identifying mechanisms through which sociocultural discourses and appearance ideals are internalized by individuals, and the role of appearance comparison in the development and maintenance of body image concerns (Shroff and Thompson, 2006 ; Rodgers et al., 2011 ; Schaefer et al., 2019 ).

Related to the idea of body capital, Westernization, urbanization, and rapid economic growth have been posited to be linked to increased body image concerns through intensifying media and advertising pressures, as well as competition for resources and social mobility (Becker, 2004 ; McLaren and Kuh, 2004 ; Gorrell et al., 2019 ). From this perspective, countries that are most affluent, as well as those that are undergoing the most rapid cultural and economic transitions, are likely to be those where the highest rates of body image concerns are found.

Critical feminist theories

Critical feminist theories have been useful in identifying how gendered processes that serve economic and political goals of gender majorities, including the objectification of women and gender minorities, are related to body image (Peterson et al., 2008 ; Roberts et al., 2018 ). These theories emphasize how the gendered nature of body ideals and the social value attributed to appearance serve to further protect existing gender hierarchies. Thus, for example, socializing women to be invested in achieving an unrealistically slender and highly groomed appearance diverts energies and resources away from other (political and social) activities and continues to perpetuate systems in which women’s social worth is indexed to their appearance (Widdows, 2018 ; Piran, 2019 ). In addition, these theories have highlighted how the objectification of women in society, in particular through media images, leads to women internalizing the need to self-monitor one’s body, in the form of self-surveillance and self-objectification, and how these factors are also associated with poor body image (Fitzsimmons-Craft, 2011 ).

Minority stress theories

A third important group of theories has highlighted how individuals who hold minoritized identities may experience and fear appearance-based discrimination (Brewster et al., 2017 ; Veldhuis et al., 2017 ; Brewster et al., 2019 ). These experiences and the associated anxiety lead to negative affect, a recognized risk factor for body image concerns, as well as heightened preoccupation with appearance. In addition, individuals may engage in efforts to avoid discrimination and the associated anxiety by attempting to modify their appearance through behaviors that may be harmful in the long term, as well as avoiding situations in ways that may be impairing over time.

A comprehensive integrative model of minority stress and sociocultural theory was useful to better understand how minority stressors (heterosexist discrimination, sexual orientation concealment, and internalized homophobia) were related to sociocultural influences (sociocultural pressures, thin ideal, and muscular-ideal internalization) and body image concerns and related body change behaviors (Convertino et al., 2021 ).

Empirical evidence across countries

High-income english-speaking countries.

The large majority of the available research has stemmed from high-income English-speaking countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia (Holmqvist and Frisén, 2010 ). In such cultural contexts, strong adherence to unrealistically slender and muscular ideals is overall found, with little variation across high socioeconomic status sites (Swami et al., 2010 ). In such contexts, body image concerns are highly prevalent and tend to be greatest among individuals with minoritized identities including women, sexual and gender minorities, individuals living in larger bodies, and those from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds (Frederick et al., 2022 ). Appearance ideals that are gendered, heteronormative, ableist, ageist, and Eurocentric contribute to centering concerns around weight, muscularity, youth, fairness, and related characteristics across groups.

Research has suggested that levels of body image concerns in high-income English-speaking countries, particularly in the USA, are among the highest globally, with the exception of pockets of very affluent and Westernized areas, such as within Asia (Holmqvist and Frisén, 2010 ). It is also within such contexts that research focusing on positive body image has received the greatest attention (Halliwell, 2015 ), as well as research aiming to refine explanatory models of body image concerns that account for interindividual variations (Pachankis et al., 2020 ).

In the USA and in other English-speaking high-income countries, negative body image has been associated with eating disorders (Drummond, 2002 ; McLean and Paxton, 2019 ), as well as depression and postpartum depression (Brausch and Gutierrez, 2009 ; Silveira et al., 2015 ), and poor psychosocial functioning (Davison and McCabe, 2006 ). Effective interventions to decrease body image concerns have been developed, in particular those that increase understandings of the socially constructed nature of appearance ideals and decrease adherence to them (Marchand et al., 2011 ; Lewis-Smith et al., 2019 ). Notably, sometimes these interventions address eating disorders as the main outcome and body image as a risk factor (Marchand et al., 2011 ). However, these interventions need to be embedded more systematically into existing networks and systems, and efforts to decrease universal risk need to be increased (Bell et al., 2016 ).

European countries

Studies in European non-English-speaking countries have overall evidenced findings that are similar to those in high-income English-speaking countries, although overall rates of body image concerns tend to be lower than in the USA (Frederick et al., 2007 ; Holmqvist and Frisén, 2010 ). Within Europe, variations exist in terms of body image, for example, individuals from Belgium and Portugal have reported lower rates of body size satisfaction as compared to Norway and Denmark (Kvalem et al., 2020 ).

Latin countries such as Portugal and Spain tend to place more emphasis on appearance, which is accompanied by higher rates of cosmetic surgery and body image concerns (Stefanile et al., 2015 ). Consistent with the theories described previously, high rates of appearance investment and anxiety in Cyprus, as compared to other European countries, were interpreted as being related to the lower economic power of the area and recent rapid urbanization and change (Koutsantoni et al., 2020 ).

Among European samples, body image has been found to be associated with mental health concerns including internalizing symptoms (Ramos et al., 2019 ), eating disorder symptoms (Rodgers et al., 2011 ), and poor psychological functioning (Corry et al., 2009 ; Træen et al., 2016 ). Given the preliminary evidence for the burden of body image concerns in Europe, continuing to develop efforts toward prevention is critical (Barbosa, 2021 ).

Latin America

Body image disturbances and physical appearance concerns are prevalent in most Latin American countries (McArthur et al., 2005 ; Silva et al., 2011 ; Forbes et al., 2012 ; Amaral and Ferreira, 2017 ; Swami et al., 2020 : Bolívar-Suárez et al., 2021 ; León-Paucar et al., 2021 ). Research points to several sociocultural factors related to body image concerns in Latin American samples, such as pressure to achieve socially prescribed body ideals and the internalization of appearance ideals (Austin and Smith, 2008 ; Mellor et al., 2008 ; Forbes et al., 2012 ; de Carvalho et al., 2017 ; de Carvalho and Ferreira, 2020 ), unique pressures to meet unrealistic standards of beauty (Forbes et al., 2012 ; Gruber et al., 2022 ), thin-ideal awareness (Moreno-Domínguez et al., 2019 ), negative appearance-related messages from family members (Rivero et al., 2022 ), acculturative stress (Quiñones et al., 2022 ), and acculturation (Marquez and Benitez, 2021 ).

It is noteworthy that poor mental health has been associated with body image concerns in Latin American countries, including low self-esteem (Amaral and Ferreira, 2017 ; Bolívar-Suárez et al., 2021 ), depressive symptoms (Amaral and Ferreira, 2017 ; Delgado-Floody et al., 2021 ; León-Paucar et al., 2021 ), poor psychological well-being (Amaral and Ferreira, 2017 ; Lemes et al., 2018 ; Matias et al., 2020 ), mental health concerns (Pinheiro et al., 2007 ; Silva et al., 2011 ), and eating disorder symptoms (Compte et al., 2015 ; Amaral and Ferreira, 2017 ; de Carvalho et al., 2017 ; de Carvalho and Ferreira, 2020 ). Although effective interventions to decrease body image concerns have been developed for Latin Americans (Castillo et al., 2019 ; Almeida et al., 2021 ; Rutsztein et al., 2021 ; Resende et al., 2022 ), there is still a critical need to position body image as a priority in public mental health policies, and again several of these programs address body image as a risk factor within eating disorder prevention. This may be particularly challenging in Latin America countries, given difficulties faced in their operationalization, financing, and adaptation to sociocultural realities (Leiva-Peña et al., 2021 ).

Asia and South-East Asia

Beauty ideals in Asia and South-East Asia have been described as centering around being small-bodied as well as a particular emphasis on facial features (Mellor et al., 2013 ) and skin tone (Prusaczyk and Choma, 2018 ). Asia is a very diverse area in terms of affluence and cultural groups, and unsurprisingly, these differences have been found to be associated with variations in body image concerns. Thus, for example, in highly Westernized and affluent parts of Asia, levels of body image concerns are among the highest in the world (e.g. Shih and Kubo, 2005 ; Jung et al., 2009 ).

As in other cultures, support has been found for the role of media influence in body image across Asian countries including in Singapore (Chang et al., 2019 ), Taiwan (Chang et al., 2013 ), Korea (You and Shin, 2020 ), Hong Kong and China (Rochelle and Hu, 2017 ), and Japan (Ando et al., 2021 ), as well as the role of the internalization of appearance ideals (Omori et al., 2017 ; Hsu et al., 2021 ). In addition, work has been accumulating from a positive body image perspective, suggesting that these constructs are relevant to these groups (Swami and Jaafar, 2012 ; Todd and Swami, 2020 ).

As documented in other cultural contexts, in Asian countries body image concerns have been associated with eating disorder symptoms (Yamamiya et al., 2008 ; Chisuwa and O’Dea, 2010 ; Kaewpradub et al., 2017 ), depression (Prusaczyk and Choma, 2018 ), and poorer quality of life (Santhira Shagar et al., 2021 ). In very recent years, prevention efforts have been extended to affluent and developing areas of Asia (Craddock et al., 2021 ; Danthinne et al., 2022 ; Garbett et al., 2022 ); however, more work is needed.

The Middle East

Body image concerns are present in the Middle East; however, much of the existing work has focused on women, with rare exceptions (Melki et al., 2015 ; Saghir and Hyland, 2017 ). A study among women from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and Syria revealed that in each country 32–39% of women reported being dissatisfied with their body weight, and 17–22% reported a preference for the body shape of Western models (Musaiger, 2015 ). In another study among women from southwestern Saudi Arabia, 77% indicated a discrepancy between their actual, perceived, and ideal weights (Khalaf et al., 2015 ).

Similar to findings in other settings, urbanization has been associated with a preference for thinness (Jackson et al., 2003 ), and research has pointed to the role of sociocultural factors in body image concerns, including the role of media (Tayyem et al., 2016 ; Saghir and Hyland, 2017 ) and the internalization of appearance ideals (Melki et al., 2015 ; Zainal et al., 2020 ). Perhaps in this geographic area more than others, the role of cultural and religious values and behaviors has been explored, with findings suggesting that the relationships are complex and require further disentangling (Al-Mutawa et al., 2019 ; Sidi et al., 2020 ).

Again, as in other contexts, body image concerns have been associated with eating disorder symptoms in students from Iran (Naeimi et al., 2016 ) and with depression among students in Turkey (Tayfur and Evrensel, 2020 ). These findings suggest that here too, body image may be accompanied by significant mental health burden, and that tailoring and extending prevention efforts to these settings would be important.

While specific appearance ideals and body image concerns vary across contexts throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, traditional standards of beauty for women often reflect a preference for a larger body size and a fuller, curvier shape (Furnham and Baguma, 1994 ; Tovée et al., 2006 ; Naigaga et al., 2018 ). These traditional standards of attractiveness and beauty continue to exert influence on body image ideals today, with women and men at higher weights endorsing greater appearance satisfaction than those at lower weights (Otakpor and Ehimigbai, 2016 ; Tuoyire et al., 2018 ).

Consistent with this, cross-cultural work has supported that body image satisfaction, including as related to weight and muscularity, is higher among groups from African countries as compared to similarly aged groups from countries such as China, Indonesia, and Ecuador (Blum et al., 2021 ), and the UK (Thornborrow et al., 2020 ).

However, globalization has brought increasing pressures to achieve Eurocentric beauty ideals and a greater desire for smaller hips, larger buttocks, straight hair, lighter skin tones, and slimmer noses among African women (Balogun-Mwangi et al., under review ; Eddy et al., 2007 ; Kaziga et al., 2021 ). Consistent with theories regarding the role of accelerating modernity, among women in South Africa, Cameroon, and Uganda, higher levels of desire for thinness and preference for smaller bodies have developed (Dapi et al., 2007 ; Prioreschi et al., 2017 ; Kaziga et al., 2021 ), as well as a preference for Eurocentric beauty ideals among women from Nigeria versus Kenya (Balogun-Mwangi et al., under review ). Thus, appearance ideals may be changing in African countries and pressures to pursue mainstream globalized appearances may be increasing.

As predicted by sociocultural theories, these pressures, including pressures from social media, which represents a principal source of globalized appearance pressures, have been found to be associated with body size dissatisfaction (Michels and Amenyah, 2017 ), desire for a thinner body (Terhoeven et al., 2020 ), and poorer overall body image (Kaziga et al., 2021 ) in Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Uganda, respectively. Although multiple factors may be at play, increased exposure to Western (but not Zimbabwean) media was found to account for poorer body image among Zimbabwean women (Swami et al., 2012 ). The literature pertaining to body image among men in Africa is more scarce. Nevertheless, emerging research has suggested that while dissatisfaction with muscularity may be present in men, rates are lower than in other cultural contexts such as the USA (Frederick et al., 2007 ).

Consistent with findings from around the globe, in Africa greater body image concerns have been associated with poorer mental health outcomes, including eating disorders (Prioreschi et al., 2017 ; Terhoeven et al., 2020 ), depression and anxiety (Corona et al., 2019 ), lower quality of life (Ejike, 2015 ), and general psychiatric morbidity (Otakpor and Ehimigbai, 2016 ). Again, efforts to prevent this burden would be important.

Global commonalities

Although differences exist, the literature has also highlighted commonalities across countries at the global level in terms of appearance ideals (Lipinski and Pope, 2002 ; Swami et al., 2010 ), the nature of body image concerns, and potential risk factors in the development of these concerns. Support has been found for media exposure, and particularly Westernized media exposure, as a correlate of poorer body image among adults across 26 countries in 10 world regions (Swami et al., 2010 ; Schaefer et al., 2019 ). Similarly, among adolescents from 24 countries across Europe, Canada, and the USA, the role of parental influence in body image has been supported (Al Sabbah et al., 2009 ). These findings provide strong support for continuing to ground work in sociocultural models that account for these pathways.

In addition, the literature has supported the fact that immigration from a lower income and less Westernized area to a higher income, urban, and Westernized area is frequently accompanied by increased body image concerns (Toselli et al., 2016 ). This increase may be related to greater exposure to Western media, as well as increased minority stress, and a loss of capital that may lead to body capital becoming more salient.

Importantly, the consistent findings regarding the association between body image and multiple indicators of poor mental health including eating disorders, mood disorders, and general impaired functioning highlight the critical nature of body image concerns. Coordinated efforts should be made to address this global issue.

Theoretical and practical implications

Theoretical implications.

Predominant theories that have been useful for conceptualizing body image concerns include those that highlight the importance of sociocultural identities, particularly from an intersectional and minority stress standpoint. The majority of the work that has been conducted outside of high-income Western countries has focused on sociocultural elements including pressures toward thinness and internalization of media ideals (e.g. Moreno-Domínguez et al., 2019 ; Zainal et al., 2020 ; Hsu et al., 2021 ). This represents an important gap, as theories that can account for the ways in which appearance is tied to power and privilege are likely particularly useful ones in such contexts. Future work at the global level should seek to explore these facets to a greater extent. It is notable, however, that the work grounded in sociocultural theories suggested that these frameworks and their related constructs are still applicable outside of affluent Western contexts. Together, these findings suggest that additional attention should be focused on extending theories to be culturally informed and sensitive to cultural variations as well as integrating important elements of minority and intersectionality theory.

Practice implications

From a practice perspective, findings highlight three important elements. First, the prevalence of body image concerns worldwide is high. Second, these concerns are robustly linked to mental health concerns. Third, prevention efforts are limited by their failure to be embedded in existing structures (e.g. school curriculum, etc.) and by the fact that some of the programs that have received the greatest research attention target body image in the context of eating disorder prevention. Together, these three elements point to an urgent need to elevate the seriousness of appearance concerns at a global level and to continue efforts to develop universal and targeted interventions with a broad reach that can be easily disseminated, for example through embedding them in existing services for youth or by leveraging the reach of digital technologies. These efforts should build on additional work extending theoretical frameworks that can identify cross-cultural core intervention targets (such as internalization of appearance ideals) as well as culturally specific ones.

Future directions

Although initially constricted to high-income English-speaking countries, the empirical literature focused on body image has started to extend to a global level, making important contributions to our knowledge of the global burden of body image concerns. Despite these contributions, several areas of future research emerge.

Extending to more diverse groups

Replicating the ways in which the body image literature developed within the field, the majority of the extant literature from areas such as Africa or the Middle East has to date largely focused on women and thinness-related concerns. Moving forward, it will be important to extend this work to more diverse groups in terms of gender, sexual orientation, age, and ability. Moreover, while important work has been conducted on the role of urbanization, it will be important to better understand how low socioeconomic status may place individuals at greatest risk for body image concerns and unhealthy behaviors in urban settings. Finally, using an intersectional lens will enrich the literature and provide a more fine-grained understanding of the way vulnerability to these concerns is distributed through the population (Burke et al., 2020 ).

Expanding to more culturally relevant understandings of body image

As described above, a large amount of the existing literature has centered on body weight and shape, with a predominant focus on thinness and to some extent on muscularity. Evidence for the importance of other aspects of appearance in body image exists, however (Lowy et al., 2021 ). Future research should seek to better characterize the aspects of appearance that may be particularly central to body image in different groups so as to conduct culturally sensitive research.

In addition, greater focus on positive elements of body image will help to shift conceptualizations toward a strengths-based model and to increase understanding of the unique strengths certain cultural groups may have in terms of positive body image. In particular, exploring settings in which appearance is less salient may be helpful for understanding how to decenter appearance in affluent and highly Westernized contexts.

Preventing and decreasing body image concerns

Finally, given the global rates and commonalities of body image concerns, greater efforts should be made to prevent and decrease these concerns. Although scalable interventions have started to emerge across the globe (Marchand et al., 2011 ; Craddock et al., 2021 ; Garbett et al., 2022 ), this work is still in its infancy. In addition to developing such programs, working with stakeholders and policymakers is crucial to decreasing universal risk for body image concerns effectively at a global level, with Western media emerging as a particularly important target (Bell et al., 2016 ).

Conclusions

The findings from this review highlight how body image concerns constitute a burden at the global level, with higher levels of risk among already vulnerable groups. The oppressive nature of appearance ideals, combined with their function to maintain social hierarchies and generate profit, contributes to explaining this increased risk. The variations in risk observed at the global level, which map onto levels of economic development and international power, are to some extent replicated within countries (such as within the USA where minoritized groups experience greater concerns) and geographic areas (e.g. in Europe, where lower income countries report higher levels of body image concerns). However, countries in which Westernized appearance ideals are still only gaining ground, and where the social emphasis on appearance is lower, may still be protected from body image concerns to some extent (Frederick et al., 2007 ).

Open peer review

To view the open peer review materials for this article, please visit http://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.2 .

Author contributions

All authors contributed to reviewing the relevant research, drafting the first version of the manuscript, and final editing.

Competing interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

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Author comment: Body image as a global mental health concern — R0/PR1

Rachel rodgers.

Northeastern University, United States

8th August 2022

Dear Sir,

My coauthors and I would like to submit our manuscript titled “Body image as a global mental health concern” to Global Mental Health. Our review highlights the prevalence of body image concerns across the globe as well as associated risk factors, and the need for universal and targeted prevention.

Many thanks in advance for your time and consideration. We look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely,

Rachel Rodgers, Ph.D.. FAED

Associate Professor

Review: Body image as a global mental health concern — R0/PR2

Kristina holmqvist.

University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Comments to Author : Thank you for the opportunity to review this interesting manuscript. It is well-written, well-organized, and takes a much-needed global perspective on the widespread body image concerns across continents. It describes different theoretical frameworks for understanding body image concerns globally and it also summarizes what is known from research in different regions. I very much enjoyed reading this paper. Theories and results are clearly described. I especially liked the idea of interpreting the different rates in body image concerns in the light of the different theoretical frameworks and I think the paper could be improved by adding even more discussion/links between these. Below are my more specific comments:

Page 2: Body image is defined as “thoughts, feelings and behaviors of an individual related to their own appearance”, but body image may also comprise thoughts, feelings and behaviors related to other aspects of the body (health, functionality). Does this study focus more on the appearance domain? Please specify.

Page 2: “the early literature” – what time period does this refer to?

Page 2: it says “individuals whose identities afford them lower power and privilege” – could you please give examples?

Page 4: “toned yet curvy ideal” seems to describe a female ideal although this is not made explicit. Is there a global male ideal too?

Page 4: Critical feminist theories are salient in current body image research. Should this perspective be more emphasized in the theoretical part?

Page 2-5: It strikes me after reading the results that the research described seems to be investigating body image concerns mostly from sociocultural theory. It could be a good idea to think about the order of presentation of the theories, for example by starting with the most explored theory.

Page 6: it is stated that effective interventions have been developed – could you add some information regarding the focus of these interventions? This could be helpful for the other regions too.

Page 6: “In contrast, Latin countries…”. The previous sentence describes findings from Portugal which could be defined as a European Latin country. Should “in contrast” be removed from the sentence? Findings seem not to be in contrast. Should it be “Latin countries such as Portugal and X..”?

On page 14: “with higher levels of risk among already vulnerable groups.” – which are these groups? For example, one of the findings is that body image concerns are more salient in high-income English-speaking countries. This may not be considered a vulnerable group.

Some overall comments:

As mentioned above, I would like to see more connections between the results and the theories described. This is only briefly discussed on page 12 and I find this part very interesting. I think extending this discussion (for example in a section of its own) could really improve the paper. How can we understand the results in relation to the theories described? Is there support for all theories? How should future intervention/prevention look like considering these findings/theoretical frameworks?

Finally, there are a few grammatical errors/ typos in the MS, for example page 2 “privilege than underpin”, and page 4 “the role (of) appearance comparisons”.

Review: Body image as a global mental health concern — R0/PR3

Comments to Author : Manuscript ID: GMH-22-0225

The authors proposed an important review of the theoretical frameworks about body image concerns through the different regions of the globe. This is a relevant topic to be discussed, given its implications in our society, especially in mental health field. That said, I have some questions, concerns and comments.

1. I understand the limitation of the words count to give an in-depth discussion about the theoretical concepts elected. However, I think that the presentation of the theories (Body Capital, Sociocultural and Minority stress) is excessively superficial.

P.3 – when talking about Body Capital, the authors cite Edmonds (2007) and Hunter (2011) that are secondary references, i.e., they cite the original authors. It would be better if the authors cited original theorists such as Pierre Bourdieu.

P. 3 – the topic’s number is 2.2 instead of 2.3.

P. 4 – I think it is important add some references to the following phrase: “These theories also highlight how […] existing systems of power and privilege”.

P. 5 – I suggest better explain the integrative model by Convertino et al. (2021).

2. The topic about the empirical evidence across countries is very diverse. They lack unity and cohesion. The information about some regions is more complete and more detailed than others. Also, the authors cite some old studies (from 2010, for example) to sustain the argumentation. About prevention programs, I suggest that the authors standardize the inclusion of eating disorders prevention programs that contain body image concerns in its scripts (such as the Body Project versions cited in the Latin America topic), making this information clear in the text. For example, when talking about prevention programs target specifically on body image concerns, this should be highlighted as well as when the programs that are being cited are ED prevention interventions.

P. 7 – The authors cited Diedrichs et al. (2015) as a study among non-English speaking countries. However, this research was carried out in UK.

P. 7 – The study from Barbosa (2021) is not cited in the references.

3. In order to better establish the relevance and innovation of the proposed review, the authors should add a topic summarizing how the found results across globe confirm or refute the theoretical concepts elected and presented (Body Capital, Sociocultural and Minority stress). Moreover, a better discussion about the implication of these information to the global mental health ins recommended.

Specific questions from the editor:

Question 1:

For global reviews, how well does the review cover global content in the inclusion of research, presentation of results, and/or in the discussion and implications? And how could this be improved/expanded?

The manuscript gives an overall framework about body image concerns around different regions of the globe. Besides that, it would be important to better discuss the implications of these information to the global mental health field.

Recommendation: Body image as a global mental health concern — R0/PR4

No accompanying comment.

Decision: Body image as a global mental health concern — R0/PR5

Decision: body image as a global mental health concern — r0/pr6.

Body Image: Western Advertisement Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction, advertisement image, music video, the need for change.

Western advertisement is a major influence point that correlates with two objectives. On the one hand, the product that is being advertised is to be desired by the consumer, which then generates sales. On the other hand, the objective is to create circumstances in which the product is showcased in an entertaining and motivational way. Thus, skincare ads usually showcase individuals with problematic skin before the video illustrates the “after” effect, a flawless base that makes individuals believe such results are attainable with this specific problem. A similar effect can be found in ads correlating with food. Food-related content is often presented with a focus on weight-related consequences. Namely, advertisers are aware of the diet culture present in western society and focus on illustrating that their products are not linked to weight gain. This critique will examine two pieces of content: an ad from Subway and an Eminem music video. Both elements are highly suggestive of the importance of maintaining a desirable body type, which directly correlates with the negative impact on consumers in regard to their relationship with their physical appearance.

The advertisement image that was selected from the critique is a Subway promotional photo. Namely, the phenomenon of Jared Fogle, informally known as “Jared the Subway guy,” has been circulating as a promotion for consuming Subway as the individual in question has lost weight following a Subway-only diet. The aforementioned picture is a before-and-after illustration of Fogle holding his previous piece of clothing as evidence of his seeming dietary success. Subway has seen the opportunity is promoting its products as suitable for a weight-conscious audience as an alternative to fast food, mostly available in similar restaurant chains. However, it is inevitable that the image itself is one promoting weight loss. Moreover, the motto on the image, “It’s all about choices,” implies that the individual in question was making the wrong choices while being of a more substantial frame (Subway, 2000). While the ad was published in the early 2000s, today’s standards would consider such wording as insensitive to people with weight problems due to the fact that excess body mass is not solely a result of one’s inappropriate dietary habits but a result of multiple socioeconomic elements.

Moreover, it can be stated that promoting Subway as a weight-loss brand is not a practice that would be considered healthy. Eating disorders, according to researchers, are generated through the presence of a disturbing attitude toward one’s body (Treasure et al., 2020). In this case, the “before” body is illustrated as the result of a wrong choice, according to the quote in the picture. This creates negative connotations towards weight and may promote unhealthy food behaviors. Moreover, no health claims are provided, which implies that the “after” image is linked to appearance rather than one’s health. This is also evident due to the fact that the person in the ad holds his previous clothing to emphasize the difference in size rather than potentially improved health.

The music video that was selected for the critique is Eminem’s “We made you” video. It is a parody-style content piece in which the artist criticizes multiple celebrities, including their looks. One of the jokes in the video is Jessica Simpson’s weight. Namely, at the time the clip was released, Jessica Simpson was widely criticized in the media for her weight gain. In the video, Eminem has invited a model with a similar appearance to the Simpsons concerning blond hair and overall style. However, the plus-size model was somewhat curvier than Simpson at the time and showcased consuming fast food, which directly correlated with the rapper’s take on Simpson’s body (Eminem Music, 2009). Thus, by showcasing a slightly curvier model consuming food associated with weight gain, the rapper implies that the new body of the entertainer is not desirable and can be ridiculed.

Needless to say, neither the woman in the video of Simpson herself would be classified as obese based on the BMI scale, which in itself is an unreliable source yet has a specific measure to categorize people by their weight. However, the aforementioned portrayal is a representation of how society views women that perceive their bodies. Due to the fact that most movies and modeling campaigns feature extremely slender bodies, an individual with more realistic proportions becomes out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, the average weight for women in the US is reportedly 170 pounds (CDC, 2021). Thus, the women were ridiculed for their weight, yet both Simpson and the model who was deemed “big” were of regular weight. However, due to the fact that most of the entertainment industry only endorses unattainable body standards, the norm becomes someone underweight.

The relationship between eating disorders and western culture is palpable. It can be illustrated as the connection between the media and consumer behavior. Namely, researchers have found a strong link between social media users and the process of developing eating disorders (Zhang et al., 2021). It can be linked to the fact that social media influencers on platforms such as Instagram often base their internet persona on looks. Hence, fit bodies are a primary attention grabber, which generates more subscribers and, as a result, a higher revenue. Moreover, multiple of the ads that influencers themselves post are weight related. Current literature highlights that teenagers are especially susceptible to investing in weight loss-related products promoted through social media (Lozano-Chacon et al., 2021). Products such as meal plans, weight-loss teas, and potentially dangerous supplements are advertised by influences with desirable bodies. As a result, young people believe that looking like the individuals they follow on various platforms requires the purchase of products they claim to use. Previously, the trend was promoted through Hollywood movies and billboards. Fashion brands especially were showcasing designer clothes on extremely slim models, which created a trend for extreme thinness among teenagers. However, since such body measurements are difficult to achieve and maintain, eating disorder rates are rising.

It is important to mention the specific demographic that was impacted by the aforementioned culture of dieting promoted through unattainable body measurements. Namely, teenage girls have been reported as most likely to develop an eating disorder linked to social media usage (Wilksch et al., 2019). The western way of approaching female beauty is often illustrated through the portrayal of a young, skinny, white woman. Multiple young girls believe that by seeking these ideals, they will have more success in their personal and professional lives. However, this particular illustration of what a woman is to look like is neither realistic nor inclusive. Multiple females cannot identify with said image, which is both dangerous from the perspective of the development of eating disorders as well as challenges with self-love and self-acceptance.

The current situation is unhealthy for people at risk of developing eating disorders based on what they see in the media. For example, researchers point out that the time one spends on social media directly correlates with ED (Padín et al., 2021). Thus, parents of young children and girls specifically may benefit from limiting social media usage by promoting various activities to occupy young individuals. It is also essential to have an inclusive approach to people who can be seen on television and in music videos. The presence of artists of various races, body types, genders, and physical abilities is key to creating circumstances in which adolescents specifically understand that people of their frame exist and have successful careers and personal lives. Moreover, another approach is one that can be implemented by social media developers and administrators themselves. For example, posts in which content creators promote weight-loss supplements, teas, and similar goods are to be closely monitored based on their potential risks. One way in which the issue can be tackled is through the certification of said products. Thus, a tea that is being advertised by influencers yet is not CDC-approved is not to be portrayed as a miracle cure for those seeking to lose extra pounds.

By examining the image and the music video, it was evident that both pieces of visual content were based on the idea that excess weight is considered something negative. In one case, weight loss was approached from the perspective of looks, while in the other one, one’s body was humored for being outside of the media norms. Such depictions are partly causing individuals to develop eating disorders as regular frames are considered excessive based on the females depicted on social media and Hollywood movies. The need for diversity is certain as the beauty standard remains the image of a young, slim, blonde white woman. However, the situation can be changed through the addition of new faces that look different from the current standard.

CDC. (2021). Body measurements . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.

Eminem Music (2009). We made you [Video]. YouTube. Web.

Lozano-Chacon, B., Suarez-Lledo, V., & Alvarez-Galvez, J. (2021). Use and effectiveness of social-media-delivered weight loss interventions among teenagers and young adults: A systematic review . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 18 (16), 8493. Web.

Padín, P. F., González-Rodríguez, R., Verde-Diego, C., & Vázquez-Pérez, R. (2021). Social Media and eating disorder psychopathology: A systematic review . Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace , 15 (3). Web.

Subway. (2000). Subway Ad . Feed. Web.

Treasure, J., Duarte, T. A., & Schmidt, U. (2020). Eating disorders . The Lancet , 395 (10227), 899–911. Web.

Wilksch, S. M., O’Shea, A., Ho, P., Byrne, S., & Wade, T. D. (2019). The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents . International Journal of Eating Disorders , 53 (1), 96–106. Web.

Zhang, J., Wang, Y., Li, Q., & Wu, C. (2021). The relationship between SNS usage and disordered eating behaviors: A meta-analysis . Frontiers in Psychology , 12 . Web.

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IvyPanda. (2024, April 1). Body Image: Western Advertisement. https://ivypanda.com/essays/body-image-western-advertisement/

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• Eminem's Life and Music Career
• “Not Afraid” by Eminem Analysis
• Eminem as a Modern Pop Culture Figure
• Eminem's and Kendrick Lamar's Music Compared
• Music and Society: “Eminem Is Right” by Mary Eberstadt
• The Weight-Loss Options Analysis
• Music Video "Mockingbird" by Eminem
• Simpson ‘S Criminal Case
• Effective Advertisements: Examples
• Company Analysis: Subway
• Visual Advertising: Personalized Bottle of Coke
• The Obesity: You Are Not Alone Social Advertising
• Commercial Advertisement's Impact on Behavior
• Advertising as a Cause of Unhappiness
• The Use of the Idealized Form in Advertisements

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• Knowledge Base
• How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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