Body Shape Preferences Research Articles

Weight-Related Photos on the Instagram And Female Well-Being – An Eye-Tracking Approach

This study investigates the role of eye tracking in detecting bias in body image studies, focusing on Instagram. Combining eye tracking with a questionnaire, it hypothesized a partial discrepancy between declarations and eye tracking, which is confirmed by the obtained results. Psychometric scales assessing well-being were additionally employed, uncovering correlations solely with eye tracking variables rather than declarations regarding body shape preferences. The eye-tracking data offered fresh insights into participants’ avoidance strategies and attention to subjectively unattractive areas when viewing very slim silhouettes. Furthermore, they tend to reveal lower self-esteem among individuals potentially internalizing societal beauty ideals. The exploratory study implies that weight-related Instagram content might affect participants’ psychological well-being, with eye tracking potentially uncovering biased attention to attention-capturing body areas. This paper may provide valuable insights for further research on body image, well-being, and the influence of social media on it.

Species traits and ecosystem characteristics affect species detection by eDNA metabarcoding in lake fish communities

Abstract Although environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is an exceptionally useful and powerful tool for monitoring biodiversity, little is known about whether the traits of organisms and their ecosystem characteristics affect eDNA metabarcoding performance. Nationwide surveys can provide more detailed insights, yet such studies have rarely been conducted. In order to evaluate eDNA metabarcoding performance in broad‐scale monitoring, we examined the effects of species ecological/biological traits and ecosystem characteristics on species detection rates and the implications for community analysis. In addition, we tested the effects of sample mixing and transportation methods, including cooling and freezing, on eDNA metabarcoding. On a nationwide scale, we conducted eDNA metabarcoding for fish communities in 18 Japanese lakes. By comparing species records, we observed that certain traits, including body size, body shape, saltwater tolerance and habitat preference, influenced eDNA detection. In addition, the proportion of species detected decreased significantly with an increase in lake surface area owing to ecosystem size effect on species detection. We conclude that species traits, including habitat preference, body size and ecosystem size, should be considered when assessing the eDNA metabarcoding performance in broad‐scale monitoring.

Developing an eye tracking dot-probe paradigm to measure men’s body shape and size preferences

Developing an eye tracking dot-probe paradigm to measure men’s body shape and size preferences

Evolved human male preferences for female body shape

Female body shape has an apparent influence on mate value as perceived by males. Some researchers have suggested that human male mate preference has evolved to universally favor a specific body shape which can be quantified with a particular value for Waist-Hip Ratio and/or Body Mass Index. Other research has presented evidence that populations of males exhibit differentiated preferences for female body shape. The research literature largely supports the hypothesis that male mate preference for female body shape is variable and dependent upon local resource availability. These conclusions provide insight into the evolutionary processes that have acted to produce adaptive flexibility in human male mate preferences in accordance with the environment.

Transcultural aspects of eating disorders and body image disturbance‡

Background: Unlike the majority of ‘culture-bound syndromes’, eating disorders are one of the few mental disorders initially conceptualized as ‘culture-bound’ to North America/Europe. Social norms vary massively within cultures-class, ethnicity and gender. Over time there have been substantial changes in body shape preferences.Aim: To describe some key areas in the transcultural aspects of eating disorders (ED) and body image disturbance (BID).Method: This lecture describes a different and complementary manner of understanding eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa (AN), from a cultural, social and psychoanalytic perspective.Results: Social norms vary massively within cultures, social strata, ethnicity and gender. Social norms also vary over time leading to substantial changes in body shape preferences and the epidemiology of eating disorders.Conclusions: Understanding eating disorders requires integration of psychological factors into a cultural and epidemiological context.

Investigating the link between television viewing and men's preferences for female body size and shape in rural Nicaragua

Abstract The different levels of media access in otherwise very similar villages in rural Nicaragua provided a natural laboratory to explore the effect of television (TV) access on men's preferences for female body size and shape. In study 1 we compared the female body ideals of men from three discrete villages who experienced different levels of TV but otherwise inhabited a similar ecological and sociocultural environment. 3D modelling software enabled participants to create their ideal female body with more precision than simply choosing a figure from a limited range of 2D images. In study 2 we further explored local men's perceptions of female physical attractiveness and attitudes towards television using focus group discussions. Results from study 1 showed that men in the high TV villages preferred significantly slimmer bodies compared to those in the low TV village. Regression analyses showed TV access to be a significant predictor of ideal body size and upper body shape, but not of ideal lower body shape. The central theme to emerge from study 2 was the importance of the relationship between lower body shape, movement and sex, in the men's judgments of female attractiveness: the curvaceous body was perceived by the men to be a reliable cue to potential sexual promise, rather than valued simply for its visual aesthetic. Overall, findings suggest that TV access is linked to rural Nicaraguan men's perceptions of ideal female body weight and breast size, but preferences for a curvaceous lower body shape may be driven primarily by judgments of female sexual promise.

Gender differences in disordered eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction among adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Results from diabetes MILES youth—Australia

To examine gender differences in disordered eating behaviors (DEB) and body dissatisfaction in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. While evidence shows that female youth with type 1 diabetes are more prone to DEB compared to their peers without diabetes, little is known about male adolescents. In a national online survey, adolescents (13-19 years) with type 1 diabetes for ≥1 year completed the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised (DEPS-R), and the Body Mass Index Silhouette Matching Test (BMI-SMT) and items on binge eating and insulin omission. About 477 adolescents (mean age 16 years; 62% females) completed the DEPS-R and 431 the BMI-SMT. The DEPS-R total score was higher for females than males, with scores for females increasing with age. BMI, HbA1c , insulin omission, and binge-eating frequency were associated moderately with DEPS-R for both genders. On the BMI-SMT, 88% of females wanted to be thinner. Of the males, 76% reported body dissatisfaction; however, only 43% expressed a desire for thinness with the remainder desiring a larger body size. DEPS-R was positively associated with the discrepancy between perceived actual and ideal body size for both genders. A large proportion of adolescents with type 1 diabetes, particularly females reported engaging in DEB. Similarly, high rates of body dissatisfaction were reported, though ideal body shape preferences differed by gender. Given the high levels of self-reported DEB and gender-based patterns of body dissatisfaction, future research needs to examine the effectiveness of routine screening of DEB and consider implementation of stepped care approaches.

It's not all about wealth and beauty: Changing perceptions of fatness among Makola market women of Accra, Ghana

Within the African context, body shape preferences may be influenced by culture without necessarily taking into consideration health implications. Thus, fatness is culturally associated with beauty, prosperity, and prestige while thinness is perceived as a sign of ill‐health or poverty. Using a cross section of Makola market women, who traditionally are perceived as fat and affluent, our findings revealed that the perception of fatness as a sign of richness and beauty is changing due to women's access to knowledge and information on the health implications of fatness. The challenge for these women however, is adhering to healthy lifestyles despite living sedentary lives in the market place which is a conducive environment for one to become fat. We recommend that qualified professionals should encourage these women through continuous programmes on regenerative health and nutrition aimed at healthy lifestyle behaviour at the market places. The social groups that women belong to should be targeted, trained and equipped with the right information on healthy living so that they can disseminate this information to other members of their networks.

Television exposure predicts body size ideals in rural Nicaragua.

Internalization of a thin ideal has been posited as a key risk factor in the development of pathological eating attitudes. Cross-culturally, studies have found a preference for heavier bodies in populations with reduced access to visual media compared to Western populations. As yet, however, there has been little attempt to control for confounding variables in order to isolate the effects of media exposure from other cultural and ecological factors. Here, we examined preferences for female body size in relation to television consumption in Nicaraguan men and women, while controlling for the potential confounding effects of other aspects of Westernization and hunger. We included an urban sample, a sample from a village with established television access, and a sample from a nearby village with very limited television access. The highest BMI preferences were found in the village with least media access, while the lowest BMI preferences were found in the urban sample. Data from the rural sample with established television access were intermediate between the two. Amongst rural women in particular, greater television consumption was a stronger predictor of body weight preferences than acculturation, education, hunger, or income. We also found some evidence for television consumption increasing the likelihood of women seeking to lose weight, possibly via body shape preferences. Overall, these results strongly implicate television access in establishing risk factors for body image disturbances in populations newly gaining access to Western media.

Characterizing Body Image in Youth with HIV.

Emerging research in adults with HIV suggests negative body image may be found at a higher rate in this group. To date, few studies have examined body image in adolescents living with HIV. This exploratory study aimed to characterize body image perceptions among youth living with HIV. Adolescents (n=143; age range 16-24years; 69% male) completed an Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview Questionnaire that assessed body image, psychosocial, medical and sociodemographic information. Medical history and physical functioning information were abstracted from medical records. Results showed normative global body image on the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales. Some subscale elevations were observed; including decreased interest in self-care and appearance, as well as concerns with individual body areas. Overall, youth reported preference for own body shape on the Figure Rating Scale; however, 41% of youth classified as "overweight" per CDC body mass index reported contentment with current body size. Further, 47% of youth classified as "normal" weight desired to have larger body size. Youth identified as men who have sex with men most often reported desiring larger body size. Implications for clinical care are discussed.

Morphology and burrowing energetics of semi-fossorial skinks (Liopholis spp.).

Burrowing is an important form of locomotion in reptiles, but no study has examined the energetic cost of burrowing for reptiles. This is significant because burrowing is the most energetically expensive mode of locomotion undertaken by animals and many burrowing species therefore show specialisations for their subterranean lifestyle. We examined the effect of temperature and substrate characteristics (coarse sand or fine sand) on the net energetic cost of burrowing (NCOB) and burrowing rate in two species of the Egernia group of skinks (Liopholis striata and Liopholis inornata) compared with other burrowing animals. We further tested for morphological specialisations among burrowing species by comparing the relationship between body shape and retreat preference in Egernia group skinks. For L. striata and L. inornata, NCOB is 350 times more expensive than the predicted cost of pedestrian terrestrial locomotion. Temperature had a positive effect on burrowing rate for both species, and a negative effect on NCOB for L. striata but not L. inornata. Both NCOB and burrowing rate were independent of substrate type. Burrows constructed by skinks had a smaller cross-sectional area than those constructed by mammals of comparable mass, and NCOB of skinks was lower than that of mammals of similar mass. After accounting for body size, retreat preference was significantly correlated with body shape in Egernia group skinks. Species of Egernia group skinks that use burrows for retreats have narrower bodies and shorter front limbs than other species. We conclude that the morphological specialisations of burrowing skinks allow them to construct relatively narrow burrows, thereby reducing NCOB and the total cost of constructing their burrow retreats.

Female mate preferences for male body size and shape promote sexual isolation in threespine sticklebacks

Female mate preferences for ecologically relevant traits may enhance natural selection, leading to rapid divergence. They may also forge a link between mate choice within species and sexual isolation between species. Here, we examine female mate preference for two ecologically important traits: body size and body shape. We measured female preferences within and between species of benthic, limnetic, and anadromous threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus species complex). We found that mate preferences differed between species and between contexts (i.e., within vs. between species). Within species, anadromous females preferred males that were deep bodied for their size, benthic females preferred larger males (as measured by centroid size), and limnetic females preferred males that were more limnetic shaped. In heterospecific mating trials between benthics and limnetics, limnetic females continued to prefer males that were more limnetic like in shape when presented with benthic males. Benthic females showed no preferences for size when presented with limnetic males. These results show that females use ecologically relevant traits to select mates in all three species and that female preference has diverged between species. These results suggest that sexual selection may act in concert with natural selection on stickleback size and shape. Further, our results suggest that female preferences may track adaptation to local environments and contribute to sexual isolation between benthic and limnetic sticklebacks.

Body Shape Preferences: Associations with Rater Body Shape and Sociosexuality

There is accumulating evidence of condition-dependent mate choice in many species, that is, individual preferences varying in strength according to the condition of the chooser. In humans, for example, people with more attractive faces/bodies, and who are higher in sociosexuality, exhibit stronger preferences for attractive traits in opposite-sex faces/bodies. However, previous studies have tended to use only relatively simple, isolated measures of rater attractiveness. Here we use 3D body scanning technology to examine associations between strength of rater preferences for attractive traits in opposite-sex bodies, and raters’ body shape, self-perceived attractiveness, and sociosexuality. For 118 raters and 80 stimuli models, we used a 3D scanner to extract body measurements associated with attractiveness (male waist-chest ratio [WCR], female waist-hip ratio [WHR], and volume-height index [VHI] in both sexes) and also measured rater self-perceived attractiveness and sociosexuality. As expected, WHR and VHI were important predictors of female body attractiveness, while WCR and VHI were important predictors of male body attractiveness. Results indicated that male rater sociosexuality scores were positively associated with strength of preference for attractive (low) VHI and attractive (low) WHR in female bodies. Moreover, male rater self-perceived attractiveness was positively associated with strength of preference for low VHI in female bodies. The only evidence of condition-dependent preferences in females was a positive association between attractive VHI in female raters and preferences for attractive (low) WCR in male bodies. No other significant associations were observed in either sex between aspects of rater body shape and strength of preferences for attractive opposite-sex body traits. These results suggest that among male raters, rater self-perceived attractiveness and sociosexuality are important predictors of preference strength for attractive opposite-sex body shapes, and that rater body traits –with the exception of VHI in female raters– may not be good predictors of these preferences in either sex.

Attractiveness of women’s body: body mass index, waist–hip ratio, and their relative importance

Body mass index and waist–hip ratio are related to human health and both play a role in mate choice. However, previous research is inconsistent as to what body mass index and waist–hip ratio values are preferred in women and what the relative importance of body mass index and waist–hip ratio for attractiveness is. Here, we made several methodological refinements to obtain reliable estimations. Participants (Poles) indicated the most attractive woman from a set of digitally manipulated high-quality silhouettes varying orthogonally in body mass index and waist–hip ratio and viewed from behind to exclude effects of the breast size. Then, each participant chose the more attractive silhouette from pairs in which one figure deviated from his/her ideal in body mass index and the other in waist–hip ratio. Both sexes preferred underweight women (body mass index = 17.3) with accentuated waist (waist–hip ratio = 0.66 for female and 0.70 for male judges). These represent preferences for unhealthy body mass and healthy body shape. Furthermore, body mass index proved twice as important for attractiveness as waist–hip ratio, even though literature data indicate that waist–hip ratio is at least as important for health as body mass index. We discuss the obtained pattern of preferences from the perspective of evolutionary psychology.

Mere visual experience impacts preference for body shape: evidence from male competitive swimmers

Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that phenotypic averageness is a sign of an individual's high biological quality. The averageness should therefore be preferred in mates. A condition for such preference is the knowledge of average phenotype in the population. It is envisaged that an individual develops a neural template of typical phenotype on the basis of perceptual experience with images of conspecifics, and the template is then used in attractiveness assessments of potential partners. Regrettably, studies supporting this view are lacking. In the present study, adult male competitive swimmers and men who did not partake in swimming assessed the attractiveness of female silhouettes with proportions typical for swimmers or non-swimmers. Because swimmers see other swimmers relatively frequently, we hypothesize that they prefer swimmer-like female silhouettes more strongly than non-swimmers do. The analysis supports this hypothesis, suggesting that mere visual experience shapes a neural template of a silhouette, which subsequently serves as a reference for attractiveness evaluations.

20~30대 비만여성의 테일러드 재킷 착용실태 및 선호디자인

This study provides basic data for the development of jacket patterns which reflect designs corresponding to the body shape features and preferences of obese women in their 20s and 30s by understanding problems they may encounter in wearing a ready-made jacket by researching the reality of ready-made tailored jacket wearing and their design preferences. A survey was conducted by sampling 82 obese women (over <TEX>$25kg/m^2$</TEX> BMI) between the ages of 20 to 39. The details of the survey consists of general information, interest rate and importance rate on clothes, reality of wearing and purchasing jackets, measurement fits per each part, and preferred designs. SPSS 14.0 was used to analyze the data. The results showed that 76.8% of obese women wore their jackets less than 5 times a month. Those in the 20s wore the jackets more frequently than those in the 30s. The reasons for not wearing jackets frequently included uncomfortableness in activities and unavailability of the correct size. A total of 55% of the total preferred the fitting to be relatively smaller than the body size or tightly fitting. Although in the past, there was a tendency to wear a loose fit to cover the body shape, currently even obese body shapes avoided the loose fit as the tight fit is the trend. In terms of the satisfaction rate for the measurements per each part of jackets, there was a low satisfaction rate for most of the items. For the circumference items such as waist length and chest size, people responded that they were too small and for the length of items such as the length of jacket and sleeve length, people responded that they were too long. This was because the readymade clothes brands increase the length of items and circumference items in uniform in the same intervals when producing large sizes. Both those in the 20s and the 30s preferred a tight fit. In terms of preferred fabric, a wool/spandex mix was most popular and then cotton/spandex. This shows that they prefer those fabrics which allow an excellent activity while maintaining the exterior well. In addition, they preferred black color with no patterns because they wanted their body size to look reduced and did not want to receive any attention.

Shape of Things To Come?

![Figure][1] CREDIT: WWW.BODYLAB.BIZ/EXPERIMENTS.ASPX If you're a woman with a waist 70% as wide as your hips, rejoice: Most studies of body-shape preference show yours is the most fetching figure. But waist-to-hip ratio is only part of the story, says Rob Brooks, a biologist at the

Body shape and fit preference in body cathexis and clothing benefits sought for professional African-American women

Little survey research exists that categorises the body shapes of African-American women or attempts to understand how these impact their clothing choices. This study profiled 153 professional African-American women regarding the influence of body shape and fit preference on their perceptions of body cathexis (degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with one's body) (Secord, P. and Jourard, S., 1953. The appraisal of body cathexis: body cathexis and the self. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 17, 343–347) and clothing benefits sought (Hwang, J., 1996. Relationships between body-cathexis, clothing benefits sought, and clothing behaviors, and effects of importance of meeting the ideal body image and clothing attitude. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg) for tailored career apparel. The body shapes (hourglass, rectangle, pear and inverted triangle) were self-reported. Fit preference was selected from a set of line drawings depicting a tailored jacket and pant as fitted, semi-fitted or loosely fitted. Body cathexis was rated for 19 body components. The assessed clothing benefits included fashion image, figure flaw compensation, sex appeal, clothing emphasis and fashion innovativeness. Analyses indicated an interaction effect between body shape and fit preference with several direct correlations for body cathexis and clothing benefits sought. The methods and practical implications are discussed.

The experience of body image of children and adolescents with cancer: A meta-synthesis.

The experience of body image of children and adolescents with cancer: A meta-synthesis.

Children’s perceived and ideal body images: social marketing implications

This study investigated children’s perceived and ideal body images according to the four weight categories of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The aim was to provide insight into how the issue of child obesity can be raised with families to promote healthier behaviours while minimising unintended negative outcomes. The sample comprised 355 low and medium SES children, aged seven to 10 years. Perceived overweight and obesity was low, supporting the contention that many children are unaware of their actual levels of adiposity. More than 70% of respondents aspired to an underweight body image and thus had unrealistic and inappropriate body shape preferences. This outcome highlights the danger of triggering eating disorders by increasing weight concerns when raising awareness of child obesity in social marketing campaigns. The study results suggest that parents rather than children should be the primary focus of communications relating to child obesity and, where children are targeted, an important objective should be to prevent the internalization of a thin ideal.