Skip to main content
Log in

Women's body images: The results of a national survey in the U.S.A.

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This investigation was a representative survey, conducted in 1993, of the body images of 803 adult women in the United States. Included in the survey instrument were selected subscales from the standardized Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, which had been used in a U.S. survey in 1985. The results indicated substantial levels of body dissatisfaction, possibly surpassing levels observed in the 1985 survey. Nearly one-half of the women reported globally negative evaluations of their appearance and a preoccupation with being or becoming overweight. Whereas age effects were minimal, significant race/ethnicity effects were found, with clearly more positive body images among African American than Anglo or Hispanic women. The social and clinical implications of the findings were discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Attie, I., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1989). Development of eating problems in adolescent girls: A longitudinal study.Developmental Psychology, 25 70–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berscheid, E., Walster, E., & Bohrnstedt, G. (1973, November). Body image. The happy American body: A survey report.Psychology Today, 7 119–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T. A., Cash, T. F., & Mikulka, P.J. (1990). Attitudinal body-image assessment: Factor analysis of the Body-Self Relations Questionnaire.Journal of Personality Assessment, 55 135–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brownell, K. D., & Rodin, J. (1994). The dieting maelstrom: Is it possible and advisable to lose weight?American Psychologist, 49 781–791.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F. (1989). Body-image affect: Gestalt versus summing the parts.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 69 17–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F. (1990). The psychology of physical appearance: Aesthetics, attributes, and images. In T. F. Cash & T. Pruzinsky (Eds.),Body images: Development, deviance, and change. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F. (1994a). Body-image attitudes: Evaluation, investment, and affect.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78 1168–1170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F. (1994b).The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire users' manual. Available from the author, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F. (1995).What do you see when you look in the mirror? Helping yourself to a positive body image. New York: Bantam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., & Brown, T. A. (1989). Gender and body images: Stereotypes and realities.Sex Roles, 21 361–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., & Deagle, E. A. (1995).The nature and extent of body-image disturbances in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A meta-analysis. Manuscript submitted for publication.

  • Cash, T. F., & Grant, J. R. (in press). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of body-image disturbances. In V. Van Hasselt & M. Hersen (Eds.),Sourcebook of psychological treatment manuals for adult disorders. New York: Plenum Press.

  • Cash, T. F., & Hicks, K. L. (1990). Being fat versus thinking fat: Relationships with body image, eating behaviors, and well-being.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14 327–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., & Lavallee, D. (1995).Further evaluation of cognitive-behavioral body-image therapy: Efficacy of a self-administered program. Manuscript submitted for publication.

  • Cash, T. F., & Pruzinsky, T. (Eds.). (1990).Body images: Development, deviance, and change. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., & Szymanski, M. L. (1995). The development and validation of the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire.Journal of Personality Assessment, 64 466–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., Winstead, B. A., & Janda, L. H. (1985). Your body, yourself: A Psychology Today reader survey.Psychology Today, 19(7), 22–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., Winstead, B. W., & Janda, L. H. (1986). The great American shape-up: Body image survey report.Psychology Today, 20(4), 30–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., Wood, K. C., Phelps, K. D., & Boyd, K. (1991). New assessments of weight-related body image derived from extant instruments.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 73 235–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fallon, A. E. (1990). Culture in the mirror: Sociocultural determinants of body image. In T. F. Cash & T. Pruzinsky (Eds.),Body images: Development, deviance, and change. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fallon, P., Katzman, M. A., & Wooley, S. C. (Eds.). (1994).Feminist perspectives on eating disorders. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freedman, R. (1986).Beauty bound. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Alibhai, N. (1983). Cross-cultural differences in the perception of female body shapes.Psychological Medicine, 13 829–837.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, J. R., & Cash, T. F. (1995). Cognitive-behavioral body-image therapy: Comparative efficacy of group and modest-contact treatments.Behavior Therapy, 26 69–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huffine, C. E. (1991).Body-image attitudes and perceptions among African Americans and Whites as a function of socioeconomic class. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology, Norfolk, VA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, L. A. (1992).Physical appearance and gender: Sociobiological and sociocultural perspectives. Albany: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobi, L., & Cash, T. F. (1994). In pursuit of the perfect appearance: Discrepancies among self- and ideal-percepts of multiple physical attributes.Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 4 379–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumanyika, S. (1987). Obesity in black women.Epidemiologic Reviews, 9 31–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muth, J. L., & Cash, T. F. (1995).Gender differences in body-image attitudes: Evaluation, investment, and affect. Manuscript submitted for publication.

  • Pliner, P., Chaiken, S., & Flett, G. L. (1990). Gender differences in concern with body weight and physical appearance over the life span.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16 263–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruzinsky, T., & Cash, T. F. (1990). Medical interventions for the enhancement of adolescents' physical appearance: Implications for social competence. In T. P. Gullotta, G. R. Adams, & R. Montemayor (Eds.),Developing social competency in adolescence. New York: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodin, J. (1992).Body traps. New York: Morrow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodin, J., Silberstein, L., & Striegel-Moore, R. (1984). Women and weight: A normative discontent.Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 32 267–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, J. C., Orosan, P., & Reiter, J. (1995). Cognitive behavior therapy for negative body image in obese women.Behavior Therapy, 26 25–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rucker, C. E., & Cash, T. F. (1992). Body images, body-size perceptions, and eating behaviors among African-American and White college women.International Journal of Eating Disorders, 12 291–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silberstein, L. R., Striegel-Moore, R. H., Timko, C., & Rodin, J. (1988). Behavioral and psychological implications of body dissatisfaction: Do men and women differ?Sex Roles, 19 219–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, B., Perdue, L., Peterson, B., & Kelly, E. (1986). The role of the mass media in promoting a thin standard of bodily attractiveness for women.Sex Roles, 14 519–523.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J. E., & Krejci, J. (1991). Minorities join the majority: Eating disturbances among Hispanic and Native American youth.International Journal of Eating Disorders, 10 179–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. K. (1990).Body-image disturbance: Assessment and treatment. Elmsford, NY: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, N. (1991).The beauty myth: How images of beauty are used against women. New York: Morrow.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cash, T.F., Henry, P.E. Women's body images: The results of a national survey in the U.S.A.. Sex Roles 33, 19–28 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01547933

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01547933

Keywords

Navigation