Preferences for female body size in Britain and the South Pacific

Swami, V., Knight, D., Tovee, M. J. , Davies, P. and Furnham, A. (2007) Preferences for female body size in Britain and the South Pacific. Body Image, 4 (2). pp. 219-223. ISSN 1740-1445

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Abstract

To assess current attitudes to body weight and shape in the South Pacific, a region characterised by relatively high levels of obesity and traditionally positive views of large bodies, 38 high socio-economic status (SES) adolescent males and 38 low SES adolescent males in Independent Samoa were asked to rate a set of images of real women for physical attractiveness. Participants in both SES settings preferred women with a slender figure, as did a comparison group in Britain, suggesting that the traditional veneration of large bodies is no longer apparent in Samoa. However, the results also showed that low SES adolescents were more likely to view overweight figures as attractive, which suggests that the veneration of slim figures may be associated with increasing SES. Implications of this finding are discussed in conclusion.

Keywords:body image, body mass, body size, body weight, gender identity, Beauty, Body Mass Index, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Socioeconomic Factors, Waist-Hip Ratio
Subjects:C Biological Sciences > C800 Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C850 Cognitive Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C830 Experimental Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C841 Health Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C840 Clinical Psychology
Divisions:College of Social Science > School of Psychology
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ID Code:24448
Deposited On:05 Aug 2017 22:14

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