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Body Image Insecurities in Men and Women 1

BODY IMAGE INSECURITY

IN

MEN AND WOMEN

Dr. Yong Lao

SBS 366

PREPARED BY:

CLAUDIA VEGA

MARIZELA SORIA

ESMERALDA MELGOZA

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

MONTEREY BAY

MAY 15, 2015


Introduction

Body image is the term used to describe the way we see ourselves. Having a positive

body image of oneself is quite uncommon, especially in today’s era, where the media plays a big

role in our life. Body image has always been one of our downfalls, as constant reminders of the

“ideal body” on television make it hard to see the beauty within us. We are encouraged to believe

we have to meet certain criteria for society to accept us, otherwise we are considered

unattractive. As a consequence of this pressure men and women develop severe physical and

emotional problems, such as low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders.

Body image continues to be a hot and controversial topic now more than ever.

Although body image issues are mostly directed towards and known to affect white women, we

are now seeing a rise in its incidence in women of other cultures, and surprisingly also in men.

More and more the universal idea of the perfect image heavily influenced by the media has

affected our society presenting serious self-esteem challenges to millions of people worldwide.

Literature Review

The Literature on body image opens a window to the challenging issues ranging from

eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, to low self-esteem and the feelings of

“not being good enough”. Women and men are placing themselves in hazardous situations trying

to achieve the ideal body shape. This was a problem known to affect mostly Caucasian women in

the United States. However, recent studies now show that the media is negatively impacting

women and men around the world. Women of color and other ethnicities now deem it fit to judge

themselves not only by their cultural standards, but also to compare themselves to white

standards (Spurgas, p301). This has been magnified by exploitation of media with endless

messages through all sectors of communication like television, magazines, movies, and most


recently the internet. The ability to reach large numbers of groups worldwide can be lethal when

the message is negative and devastatingly influential. Messages like, a person can never be too

“rich” or too “thin” are all too prevalent in society (Serdar). Television continuously portrays

messages of images where the majority of models and public celebrities display unrealistic body

images that most women find impossible to achieve. The idea of the perfect body has made

many people venture out to reach out to take dangerous measures risking their health and

sometimes their lives.

The severity of the psychological and physical consequences of eating disorders

described by theorists and feminist scholars have long indicated the relationship between these

disorders and media such as magazines, movies, television, and advertising to be heavily

connected (Levine & Smolak, 1998). To learn and understand the body image issue researchers

examined the perspectives through individual participants in surveys and interview settings.

The media was the only influence on body image that was associated with perfection, and the

theme of perfection tended to be found in the same conceptual cluster as the theme related to

size, weight, or shape. Perfection, at least as the media portrays it, was always defined as being

thin, slender, or “skinny.” (Spurgas, p. 309)

It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the negative body image, yet we can

safely say that a combination of parental, family, peer and media influence play a strong role,

and further examination needs to be done in order to better understand the impact of this

epidemic social issue. The environmental influences that impact body image leaves one with a

sense of dissatisfaction, as the challenges of low self-esteem and body comparison emerge.

Advocating and promoting awareness of this complex issue is a positive move towards

constructing a more accepting and embracing attitude to all no matter how unique one is.


All the scholarly work and research that I came across regarding the issue of body image

had been done in interview and survey form. It is a very complicated issue that requires

consideration of the complexities of multicultural environments, customs, traditions, ethnicities,

religious beliefs, and the media utilizing information to control us and send harmful and

contradictory messages, on the one hand valuing thinness, and on the other hand the over

consumption of food. The advertising sector knows too well how to utilize mass media to

specifically target people through fashion, and beauty cosmetics making these industries

massively rich.

The topic of body image will never go away as we are in times of constant change and

corporations continue to get larger and economically empowered. The good news is that media

can work on both sides of the issue, where undoubtedly all sectors are bombarding the masses of

society with these false illusions of the universal standard “one type of body” that all women,

irrespective of race or ethnicity, are encouraged to obtain or to attempt to obtain by any and all

means necessary. (Spurgas, p. 314-315)

The objective of this topic through our sample survey and correlation analysis is to

continue the work on the issue of body image with the present challenges and possible solutions.

Shining light on the issue and taking action through active participation and communicating

awareness is half of the solution, because that’s where it all starts. Keeping the conversations

going eventually creates change. As a society we have the responsibility to take a stand and fight

back by informing and educating the masses and also by educating those corporations that need

to know the severity of their actions and decisions when targeting large groups in a coercive

manner. This issue is one that concerns all people and we can all do something to create a

positive shift towards becoming a more consciences and inclusive society.


Research Methods

We administered a survey questionnaire to randomly selected females and males. Surveys

remained confidential and anonymous to ensure that the respondents would feel comfortable

answering honestly. The surveys were distributed through our CSUMB student e-mail and the

social media website Facebook. The survey was administered in English and Spanish; the

answers were collected and coded into an Excel spreadsheet. The study had a total of 50

participants, 27 females and 23 males. Within the survey, different variables were examined

including, but not limited to, body image, self-awareness, media influence, sex, ethnicity, age,

and occupation. Although this data reflects only a small sample of the population, it provides a

statistically accurate representation of the population. The survey questions consisted of nominal

and ordinal measurements as well as a few open ended questions. The data was collected directly

from the online source Google Forms making it accurate and reliable.

Analysis

As previously mentioned, we obtained a total of 50 participants, 27 females and 23

males. The ages varied from 15 to 86 years of age, 44% of the participants were between the

ages of 32-49, 40% between the ages of 14-31, 14% between ages 50-67, and only 2% between

ages 68-85. Since part of the survey was distributed on Facebook it gave us the opportunity to

have lots of variations. 86% of the participants were reported as Hispanics and only 14%

reported as white.

A strong focus was put on a few questions that were viewed as important. One

profoundly analyzed question related to both genders was the desire to change appearance. We

conducted the Chi Square Test; the results provided us with the conclusion that there is not a

statistically significant difference between gender and desire to change appearance. This


contradicts the common idea that desire to change ones appearance primarily affects women. As

can be found in the results from the Chi Square Test, both women and men suffer from body

dissatisfaction.

As we continued to interpret the results of our survey, body dissatisfaction appeared to be

a significant problem in female and males in general. Another question that we focused on was

how they viewed movie characters bodies compared to their own body image. Majority of the

participants recognized that the ideal body images that the movies portray are unreal and

unhealthy. Nonetheless our survey results showed that females and males expressed concerns

about their body image due to now meeting the standard ideal. Our data suggests that even

though individuals are aware of the unrealistic truth about media images, they still feel the

pressure to “fit in” in order to be accepted by others. Additional data also provides evidence that

the females and males experience different levels of insecurities caused by the media. In one of

the survey questions men were asked to to define the ideal body for men, and majority selected

the same features. These were “to be masculine, lean, defined, and have the appearance of being

physically active and fit.” Women’s definition of the ideal body was “to be thin, tall, feminine,

and have healthy skin.” The men and women in this survey who did not meet such criteria

identified themselves as “fat” and “ugly.”


RESULTS

Table 1: This chart illustrates the age and sex frequency for this research project.

14-31 32-49 50-67 68-850

5

10

15

20

25

20 22

71

Age Frequency

F M

27

23

Frquency

Table 2: This chart illustrates how men and women feel about their attractiveness.

No

Yes

22

5

14

9

Do you consider your self Attractive?

Male Female

As predicted the majority of females do not consider themselves attractive. Our results also

illustrated 60% of our male participants did not consider themselves attractive either.


Table 3: This chart illustrates how men and women describe their body image.

Happy Very good Good Chubby Bad Fat Fit Uncomfortable02468

101214

How men and women feel about their body image

FE-MALEMALE

FREQ

UEN

CY

Table 2 provides us a visual on how the surveyed men and women felt their body image. We can

see that majority of the men have a positive view of their body image, most women have a

negative view on their body image.

Table 4: This chart illustrates men and women desire to change their appearance.

Lose weight Maintain weight Gain weight

21

51

1210

1

Men and Women's desire to lose, maintain, or gain weight

Female

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no statistical difference between gender and the desire to lose,

remain the same weight, or gain weight.


Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a statistical difference between gender and the desire to

lose, maintain, or gain weight.

Chi Square Test:

Conclusion: Our results show that our chi square obtained is less than our chi square critical,

therefore we are not able to reject our null hypothesis. This suggests that there is no significant

difference between gender and the desire to lose, maintain, or gain weight.

Row Labels Female MalesGrand

TotalLose weight 21 12 33Remain the same weight 5 10 15Gain weight 1 1 2Grand Total 27 23 50

Row Labels Female MalesGrand

TotalLose weight 11.34 5.52 33Maintain weight 2.7 4.6 15Gain weight 0.54 0.46 2Grand Total 27 23 50

Chi square obtain3.44013E-

06Degrees of Freedom 2Alpha 0.05Chi square Stats 25.16

Chi square Critical5.99146454

7


Table 5: This chart illustrates how men and women view the perception of others.

Very Important Somewhat important Not important

9

13

5

11

6 6

Perception of OthersFemale Male

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no statistically significant difference between genders with

regards to the importance of the perception of others.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a statistically significant difference between genders

with regards to the importance of the perception of others.

Chi Square Test:

SEX Very Important Somewhat important Not importantGrand Total

Female 9 13 5 27Male 11 6 6 23

Grand Total 20 19 11 50

SEX Very Important Somewhat important Not importantFemale 3.6 4.94 1.1Male 4.4 2.28 1.32


Chi Stats 2.05192E-15Degrees of Freedom 2Alpha 0.05Chi Stats Value 67.64Chi Critical 5.991464547

Conclusion: Our results show that our chi square obtain is less than our chi square critical,

therefore we are not able to reject our null hypothesis. This suggest that thereis no statistically

significant difference between genders with regards to the importance of the perception of others.

Table 5: This chart illustrates the number of participants that have utilized weight loss products

to achieve their desired weight

Yes No

13

10

1413

Weight Loss Products

Male Female

The results for table 4 were surprising to us because even though our sample size of male

participants was smaller than the females, we did not expect so many men would consume

weight loss products. Our results showed that 56% of men and 51% of women reported using

some type of weight loss product to lose weight in the last 60 days. In open ended questioning,

men predominantly reported using products like protein shakes to help with the development of

muscle while most women reported using products like “Herbalife” to lose weight.

Table 6: This chart illustrates how often our participants reported exercising.


Once a week

2 to 3 times

4 to 5 times

I do not exercise

3

10

10

4

11

8

4

How often do you exercise?male Female

Majority of the participants reported going to the gym at least 2 to 3 times per week. On open

ended questioning participants were asked why it was important for them to be physically active.

One common answer was “to be healthy.” Some contributors said that maintaining an active

routine was part of having a healthy life. A second common answer (by men) was to build and

maintain their muscular physique.

Table 7: This chart illustrates the part of the body men and women reported they would change

Chest Abdomen Waist Hips Legs Arms Entired Body

Nothing

1

13

45

12

1

3

11

1 1

32 2

What would you change from your body?Female Male

Placed as an open-ended question, participants were able to write down a part of the body they

would change if they could. 48% participants reported they would change their abdomen. While


only 6% of the participants reported that they wouldn’t change anything. This again illustrates

that 94% of the participants are unsatisfied with some part of their body.

Conclusion

Body image dissatisfaction is a serious problem that we as a nation are facing in present

times. It is important to acknowledge that the media, magazines, and movies are factors that

affect men and women to some degree in this issue. These things give us the desire to live in a

fantasy where perfection is seen as the absolute truth. It is important to realize that physical

perfection does not really exist. Rather perfection is the ability to accept one’s image as it is. If

we can achieve this we find we are perfect and beautiful as we are, not only to ourselves but also

to others. Perfection in our world is being and feeling healthy. Being able to enjoy life, enjoy

family, and enjoy our selves to the best of our ability.

Doing this research as a group was a great way to learn and understand a little bit more

about how men and women feel about themselves. We cannot always assume that such problems

exist only in women; men judge themselves just as women do. It is important to acknowledge

that for men it is harder to be open about their feelings, due to the cultural norms we have

implemented in our society. We must understand that men and women are sensitive to what

others think of them, and this behavior should not be seen as normal. Our suggestion is that we

should be more sensitive to these issues in the men and women in our families and surroundings

and to help them over come whatever problems they face.

REFERENCES


Haworth-Hoeppner, S. (2000). The Critical Shapes of Body Image: The Role of Culture and

Family in the Production of Eating Disorders. Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 62

(No. 1). National Council on Family Relations. (pp. 212-227).

Massey-Stokes, M. (2000). Prevention of Disordered Eating among Adolescents. The Clearing

House, Vol. 73 (No. 6). Taylor & Francis, Ltd. (pp. 335-340).

McGilley, H. B. (2006). Group Therapy for Adolescents With Eating Disorders. Group Therapy

and the Treatment of Eating Disorders: Challenges and Rewards, Group, Vol. 30 (No. 4).

Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society. (pp. 321-336).

Thompson, K. J. and Stice, E. (2001). Thin-Ideal Internalization: Mounting Evidence for a New

Risk Factor for Body-Image Disturbance and Eating Pathology. Current Directions in

Psychological Science, Vol. 10 (No. 5). Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of Association

for Psychological Science. (pp. 181-183).

Wade, T. D., Keski-Rahkonen A., & Hudson J. (2011).Epidemiology of eating disorders. In M.

Tsuang and M. Tohen (Eds.), Textbook inPsychiatric Epidemiology (3rd ed.). New York:

Wiley. (pp. 343-360).

Wilson, Nona L., and Anne E. Blackhurst. (1999). "Food Advertising And Eating Disorders:

Marketing Body Dissatisfaction, The Drive For Thinness, And Dieting In Women's

Magazines." Journal Of Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development 38.2: 111-

122. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.

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