Gender differences in population versus media body sizes : A comparison over four decades

• Published in: Sex roles Vol. 40; no. 7-8; pp. 545 - 565
• Main Authors: SPITZER, B. L, HENDERSON, K. A, ZIVIAN, M. T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01-04-1999; Plenum Pub. Corp; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Attitude Change; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Body fat; Body Image; Body size; Body Weight; Canada; Early Adolescents; Eating Disorders; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender Differences; Human Body; Ideals; Longitudinal studies; Malayo Polynesian Languages; Males; Mass media; Mass Media Images; Media; North Americans; Obesity; Personal appearance; Pornography; Portrayal; Preferences; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Samoan Americans; Scientific Concepts; Self Concept; Sex Differences; Sexes; Social psychology; Social role. Sex role; Sociology; United States of America; Young Adults; United States; North America; America; Social environment; Human; Sex role; Attitude; Cultural environment; Body size; Sex; Expectation; Case history
• ISSN: 0360-0025; 1573-2762
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1018836029738

Mean body mass indices (BMIs, kg/m) of North Americans aged 18 to 24 collected from 11 national health surveys were compared to: Playboy center-fold models, Miss America Pageant winners, and Playgirl models. The survey samples were representative of the mix of different ethnic and racial groups in Canada and the USA. No racial or ethnic information was available for either the Playboy women or the Miss America Pageant winners.