A comparison of body size evaluations of obesity surgery patients and general population adults

Thinner females and heavier males: who says? A comparison of female to male ideal body sizes across a wide age span

OBJECTIVE

To examine the possibility of a more restrictive thinness standard for females than males across a wide age span.

METHOD

Ratings of ideal male and female body sizes were elicited from 303 children, 427 adolescents, 261 young adults, and 326 middle-age adults. Line drawings of babies, children, young adults, and middle-age and older adults were portrayed, ranging in size from very thin to very obese.

RESULTS

Most subjects irrespective of gender selected similar ideal body sizes for males and females in each comparison. Very few consistently selected a thinner female than male ideal size. Young adults were more likely than other groups to prefer thinner females.

DISCUSSION

The selection of similar thinness standards for both genders is encouraging from a health perspective. However, in all groups, a small bias existed favoring thinner females. This bias may contribute to body concerns in the female population.

The "good enough" body size as judged by people of varying age and weight

OBJECTIVE

To examine the concept of the "good enough" body size acceptability across a wide range of ages and weight status.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Subjects were 303 children, 427 adolescents, 261 young adults, and 326 middle-age adults who selected acceptable body sizes from an array of drawings representing their own age and gender. They also selected body sizes representing their own actual and ideal size.

RESULTS

A large majority (87%) of subjects considered their own body size socially acceptable. This finding applied to both genders in all age groups and to underweight, normal weight, and overweight subjects. Even among obese subjects, 48% considered their own body size socially acceptable. For the large percentage of subjects who reported a discrepancy between their actual and ideal body sizes, most considered their own body size acceptable. This finding also applied to both genders in all age groups and to underweight, normal weight, and overweight subjects.

DISCUSSION

Most male and female subjects across a wide range of ages and status considered their own body size to be within the range of socially acceptable body sizes even though, for many, it did not match their ideal. The implications of expanding body size research to include the conceptual framework of body size acceptability is discussed in terms of contributing to a paradigm of positive psychology.