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Preferences for female body size in Britain and the South Pacific

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Martin Tovee

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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. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Swami V, Knight D, Tovee MJ, Davies P, Furnham A

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Body Image

Year: 2007

Volume: 4

Issue: 2

Pages: 219-223

Print publication date: 01/06/2007

ISSN (print): 1740-1445

ISSN (electronic): 1873-6807

Publisher: Elsevier BV

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2007.01.002

DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2007.01.002

PubMed id: 18089268

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