dove beyond stereotypes white paper

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“Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs” Findings of the 2005 Dove Global Study

February 2006

Dr. Nancy Etcoff – Harvard University

Dr. Susie Orbach – London School of Economics

Dr. Jennifer Scott – StrategyOne

Heidi D’Agostino – StrategyOne

Commissioned by Dove, a Unilever Beauty Brand



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INDEX

Page

About the Study 3-4

Forewords 5-8 – Silvia Lagnado – Global Brand Director, Dove 5 – Dr. Nancy Etcoff – Harvard University 6

– Dr. Susie Orbach – London School of Economics 7-8

Study Methodology 9-13 – Discovery 10-11 – Validation 12-13

Study Implications 14-16

Detailed Findings 17-54

– Living with Beauty Ideals 18-23

– The Relationship between Beauty Ideals, Appearance Satisfaction 24-31

and Self-esteem Self-esteem – Agents of Engagement 27-31

– Influence of Beauty Ideals on How Women Live Their Lives 32-40 Impact of Beauty Ideals on Beauty Engagement 32-36

Impact of Beauty Ideals on Life Engagement and Self- 37-41

actualization

– Revealing the Early Influences of Beauty Socialization 42-51 Wishes Growing Up 42-43 Thinking about When it Started 44-46 Influencers on Feelings about Beauty and Body Image 47-51

– Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs for Future Generations 52-56 Reflecting Back 52-53 Wishes for Future Generations 54-56

For Additional Information 57

Discovery - Literature Review Appendix/Resources 58-63



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ABOUT THE STUDY

Dove’s global 2004 study, “The Real Truth about Beauty,”1

demonstrated that women believe in a broader definition of beauty than the narrowly defined ideals most often

portrayed in popular culture.

– For the majority of women globally, this unrealistic standard of beauty is too

often focused on a few physical attributes – while they believe their own beautyencompasses so much more of who they are as women – through their happiness,

kindness, confidence and dignity.

– In addition, these women believe that the idea of beauty should be inclusive of agreater variety of physical types, expressing a strong desire to see the media do a

better job of portraying women of diverse body weights and shapes, age andethnic backgrounds.

The study also revealed that beauty beliefs start early in life, with half (54%) of allwomen around the world saying they first became aware of the need to be physicallyattractive between 6 and 17 years of age.

– Noting this, the study also provided important initial data on the hypothesis that

what women learn about beauty can have a negative or positive impact on how

they feel about themselves and their lives – notably their self-esteem.

Fueled by the results of this study, Dove launched the Campaign for Real Beauty, which

challenged currently held beliefs and media portrayals of what real beauty is by

showcasing real women viewed as unconventional beauties in their advertising and

outreach. This campaign became a catalyst for an important debate about exploring thedefinition and portrayal of real beauty on a global level.

Inspired by the 2004 study, Dove decided to take the next step in exploring the impact of

society’s beauty ideals on the self-worth of women and – importantly – of young girls.

– This exploration included understanding how feelings about beauty impact a

woman’s sense of worth, and in turn how she lives and engages in her life.Importantly, Dove sought to “walk the talk,” by not only exploring real beauty

and the impact of beauty ideals, but also uncovering solutions – in the hopes of

positively influencing the process of beauty socialization for future generations of young girls.

________________________________________________________________________ 1 – Dove 2004 “The Real Truth About Beauty – A Global Report”, N. Etcoff, S. Orbach, J. Scott, H. D’Agostino. Quantitative

telephone study conducted among 3,200 women 18-64 from 10 countries: United States, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, France, Portugal,

Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, and Japan.



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With this in mind, Dove commissioned the 2005 global study, “Beyond Stereotypes:

Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs,” to provide an authoritative foundation for change in the ways in which girls and women think and talk about beauty and body

image.

– The ultimate goal of this study, and associated programs launched upon itscompletion, is to help more women – especially young girls – to overcome andchallenge harmful stereotypes and genuinely embrace healthy, authentic and

positive ways of being beautiful.

This study extends Dove’s ongoing commitment to make more girls and women feel

beautiful every day through its advertising, communications, products and programs(such as the Dove Self-esteem Fund).



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FOREWORD BY SILVIA LAGNADO - GLOBAL BRAND DIRECTOR, DOVE

With this year’s Dove global study, “Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs,” we wanted to go a step further in our efforts with women globally and

truly “walk the talk” in helping women embrace real beauty.

Being a global beauty brand, we believe we have a clear responsibility to not only show

different kinds of role models, but also to help the next generation – in particular younggirls – to grow up without the pressure and the consequences of having to live up to

unrealistic beauty ideals.

Our worldwide survey has proven that young girls in particular very often feel that they

have to live up to the popular beauty ideals that surround them. And this demand oftenresults in their developing low self-esteem and even withdrawing from life-engaging

activities.

Through our Campaign for Real Beauty we want to prove to these girls – and of course toadult women – that beauty comes in different shapes, sizes, ages and looks. We will onceagain portray in our marketing and outreach real and authentic women who don’t fit into

the beauty stereotypes prevailing in today’s society, and who we believe are truly

beautiful.

With the work of the Dove Self-Esteem Fund, we want to offer active solutions to bothgirls and women, ultimately for them to take great care of themselves and to feel more

beautiful every day.



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FOREWORD BY DR. NANCY ETCOFF - HARVARD UNIVERSITY

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate again on ground-breaking globalresearch on women and beauty funded by Dove. The goal of the original research and of

this important second wave has been to uncover and understand the many ways that beauty, whether self-defined or imposed, impacts women’s identity, self-worth and well being. It is hoped that the findings will not only elucidate the ways that a woman’s

perception of beauty help or harm her sense of self but also point the way to positivechange. We have come to equate beauty with pain rather than pleasure; we wave it away

by saying that suffering is “necessary” for beauty. That is one myth that needs to be

tossed into the dustbin of history. Beauty must be recaptured as a basic human pleasure.

This study brings with it a message of both peril and promise. Women’s anxiety abouttheir appearance is a global phenomenon, found in every country studied from Saudi

Arabia to the United States. One stunning example of the current global beauty problem

is uncovered here for the first time: two thirds of women around the world, from fifteen-year-olds to sixty-year-olds, avoid basic activities of life because they feel badly aboutthe way they look: activities such as meeting friends, exercising, voicing an opinion,going to school, going to work, dating or even seeking medical help. If anyone argues

that beauty is a trivial problem, this finding will put that argument to rest. It is no wonder

that more and more women and girls also say here that they are considering plastic

surgery and that surgical alterations of faces and bodies are becoming increasingly prevalent. It is as though girls and women feel they must wear permanent masksapproximating a current narrow ideal of beauty rather than face the world as they are, in

their uniqueness and diversity.

But this study also suggests that change is desired, possible and near at hand. Moststudies on women and beauty have focused only on the problems, on the sources of

negative influence. We looked specifically for potential positive influences and we foundthem. Our study shows that girlfriends and mothers are the earliest and most powerful

influencers on a girl’s feelings about her appearance, but that maternal influence is

related to more positive appearance satisfaction and self esteem. Mothers have thecapability to help girls to face the difficult and demanding world of their peers and of

their culture with strength and confidence rather than shame and doubt. And the motherswe talked to embrace this possibility passionately.

Finally, the majority of women around the world have told us “it is important for womento be more supportive of other women’s beauty.” It is time we put that belief into action.



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FOREWORD BY DR. SUSIE ORBACH – THE LONDON SCHOOL OF

ECONOMICS

Whether 15 or 65, looking good is important to women and to their feelings about

themselves. This truism is just one of those things we take for granted without muchthinking about. But the results of Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs show us the alarming finding that this is so important that 7 out of 10 girls

refrain from many activities of everyday life when they feel bad about how they look.

Looking good used to be a pleasure, but so intensified are the commercial interests that

feed the contemporary beauty scene that many, many women end up feeling inadequate.The relentless and often elusive demands of the beauty industry can then have

devastating and damaging effects. In the effort to look good and thus feel good, womenengage in beauty regimes such as using cosmetics, dieting or straightening their hair:

ordinary practices which women often enjoy. But their very ordinariness has now bled

into beauty practices such as cosmetic surgery to enhance breasts, bottoms, changecheekbones or leg lengthening surgery in order to add height – procedures that womenwant to access. The picture thus switches from beauty practices being benign and fun to ascenario in which large scale rejection of one’s body as it is, in favor of the desire of a

body that can be produced and perfected to suit today’s fashion, prevails.

Today, our visual field is impregnated with images of women (often digitally enhancedand reshaped). They are on our TV screens, our billboards, our magazines, our newspapers, our computers and our movie screens. These omnipresent images shape our

personal relationships to our own bodies, engendering feelings of insecurity and body

distress whether or not one’s own body conforms to the pictures and images that are

intensely and intensively beamed at us.

Only ten women in a hundred tell us that they are free of concern about their body weightand shape. For the vast majority, body preoccupations are part of everyday life. Our

contemporary relationship to beauty is tragic. It is damaging to girls’ and women’s

feelings of self-worth. Beauty has become not so much pleasure as it is work. Beauty isno longer simply decorative; it feels essential and yet hard to achieve. Beauty is not felt

to be a birthright but a striving, a desire that is hard to attain. Of course women are not passive idiots who simply swallow the dictates of the style industries. They know well

that artifice is the bedfellow of advertising and the media industries, but because the

visual field is impregnated by singular imagery of glamorous long, thin, big-breastedwomen who seem both capable, independent, successful and yet enigmatically available

and needy at the same, that imagery will inevitably seep into our reordering our desiresand situating them in a limited body type, an iconic image and narrow notions of beauty

which women will wish to make their own.

So deep is the penetration and transmission of the current western body ideal that we see

heartbreaking evidence of the export of body distress to countries far away from the US. National standards for beauty in Japan, Saudi Arabia and Brazil are being eroded:



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STUDY METHODOLOGY

The study “Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs” wasmanaged by StrategyOne – a specialist applied research firm based in New York.

StrategyOne adopted a rigorous, two-phased academic approach to explore and validatemany assumptions about stereotypes, beauty, self-esteem and self-actualization in young

girls and women.

Collaborators

StrategyOne collaborated with leading academics and experts in beauty, body image and

self-esteem to provide expert guidance and support to the study hypotheses, quantitativeresearch design, and analysis, including:

Dr. Nancy Etcoff – Harvard University professor and author of “Survival of thePrettiest.”

– Nancy Etcoff is a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard

University Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative and a practicing psychologist at the

Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry, where she is the

Director of the Program in Aesthetics and Well Being. She is the author of Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty (Doubleday, 1999; Anchor,2000) and is completing her second book on the science of happiness.

Dr. Susie Orbach – London School of Economics visiting professor and author of “Fat

is a Feminist Issue.”

– Susie Orbach is a psychotherapist who has written widely about mothers anddaughters and body image issues. She is visiting Professor at the London School

of Economics, is the author of 10 books, 60 journal articles and many more

popular pieces. She is co-founder of The Women's Therapy Centre in London andThe Women's Therapy Centre Institute in New York.



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Phase I – Discovery

Prior to conducting original research on the topic of beauty ideals, beauty and bodyimage socialization, self-esteem and self-actualization among girls and women,

StrategyOne’s secondary information analytics group conducted a detailed literaturereview, which examined existing research and writings on the socialization of beauty andits impact on self-esteem and engagement. This review helped determine the current

body of knowledge on the topic and identified gaps that exist in this discussion.

The review scanned English-language publications and translations from the United

States, Canada, U.K, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal,India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil and more. For certain countries, such as specific

EU and Asian countries, English-language abstracts and mainstream news coverage onstudies related to the topic were reviewed.

For this study, StrategyOne conducted an extensive review of recent academic studiesand publications relating to the intergenerational socialization of beauty, as well as acomprehensive search of the media.

– It tapped multiple databases provided through the National Library of Medicine

and PubMed, as well as the Reuters and Dow Jones newswires, Factiva, Lexis-

Nexis and Dialog, as well as Internet searches of academic and association Websites.

– A variety of academic journals, papers and studies were consulted in the realms of

sociology, psychology and medicine to explore the multiple influences that

contribute to form young women’s ideas about beauty. StrategyOne reviewed

numerous databases provided through Wiley InterScience, Ingenta and HighBeam Research.

The comprehensive review of secondary sources revealed that overall beauty

socialization among girls and women has received limited coverage, with greater focus

on specific issues associated with beauty – such as weight, body image, dieting or self-esteem.

Importantly, while considerable work has been done on exploring the potential negative

relationships between mothers, daughters, body image and self esteem, limited work

could be uncovered that focused on the role ideas about beauty may play in contributing

to– or helping resolve– these problems. Nor could considerable coverage be found on

how such attitudes are transmitted.



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In asking the question, “What role do mothers play in shaping their adolescent daughters’

perceptions of beauty?” StrategyOne found several major interrelated components thatare affected by a maternal figure.

Body Image— There is evidence that mothers’ ideas and behaviors can begin to influence

their daughters’ body image during the first years of life, and that this continues to be a profound influence through adolescence.

Eating Disorders— The highest incidence of disordered eating occurs among womenduring adolescence and young adulthood, with the average age of onset now decreasing.

Numerous studies reference the mother-daughter relationship as a key variable relating to

disordered eating.

Self-Esteem— Research indicates the mother is more influential than the father regardingthe development of self-esteem in children. In adolescent girls, the development of self-

esteem is known to be more dependent on connectedness and appraisal of other people.

Therefore, the relationship between a young girl and her mother is very powerful.

These three components are not distinct, and were frequently mentioned in conjunctionwith each other. Many studies focused on the relationships between two, such as body

image and self esteem, while others addressed the mother-daughter relationship as it

related to the development of eating disorders. Beyond this, however, there is little

scholarship on the transmission of the idea of beauty for young girls overall, andspecifically between mother and daughter.

The literature review appendix/resources can be found at the close of this document.



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Phase II – Validation

Once existing research had been explored and leveraged, a proprietary global quantitativestudy was conducted to provide projectable, reliable and forward-looking insights to form

the foundation of Dove’s social and communications commitment.

This quantitative study was conducted among 3,300 girls and women aged 15-64 in 10

countries.

– 1,000 interviews were conducted among girls 15-17.

– 2,300 interviews were conducted among women 18-64.

In order to ensure a broad global perspective, interviews were conducted in each of thefollowing countries: the United States (USA), Canada (CAN), Mexico (MEX), Brazil

(BRA), the United Kingdom (GBR), Italy (ITA), Germany (DEU), Japan (JPN), China

(CHN) and Saudi Arabia (SAU).

– In all countries, 100 interviews were conducted among girls 15-17. – In Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Saudi

Arabia, 200 interviews were conducted among women 18-64.

– Due to larger population sizes in the United States, Japan and China, 300

interviews were conducted among women 18-64.

Interviews were conducted using a telephone methodology to ensure a consistent

approach and survey instrument across the nations surveyed. As such, the study is

representative of the telephone-available female population 15 to 64 within the countries

surveyed.

– However, where telephone penetration and/or cultural appropriateness insurveying girls and women were barriers, a targeted city approach was employed.

For these countries, the results are representative of the major cities within these

countries. – A targeted city approach was utilized in:

Mexico: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey Brazil: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Porto Alegre

China: Beijing, Shanghai Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam



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Interviews averaged 15 minutes and were conducted between September 6th and

September 26th, 2005, using the telephone field services of MORI International (IpsosMORI).

– All respondents were interviewed by native speakers in their own language.

– Founded in 1969, MORI, a member of ESOMAR (World Association of Opinionand Marketing Research Professionals), is one of the most reputable fieldingservices in the world, with a global scope and significant in-country resources for

the effective implementation of studies across a wide variety of languages,dialects and cultures.

The margin of sampling error at the 95% level of confidence is ±1.7 for all women 15-64(3,300), ±3.1 for girls 15-17 (1,000), and ±2.0 for women 18-64 (2,300). This means that,

in 95 times out of a hundred, when a sample of this size and composition is drawn,findings will not differ by more than 1.7 percentage points in either direction for all

women 15-64.

A follow-up study was conducted in Argentina (ARG) between January 19th

and January30

th2006 among 300 Argentinean women 15-64 (100 girls 15-17 and 200 women 18-64).

The global totals referenced in this report do not include Argentina.

In conducting international research, it is important to keep in mind cultural differencesthat may influence the data – particularly when interviewing girls and women fromvarious backgrounds.

– From a methodological and analytic perspective, global research has consistently

shown that people in certain cultures may respond to scales with particular response tendencies; for example, they may tend to endorse a large number of

items, be more likely to use more extreme scale scores or respond with personalmodesty. These will globally inflate or deflate responses across the board. This

tendency is seen in Latin America and, specifically in this case, Brazil, where

there is a tendency to use more extreme ratings or more frequent endorsements.In addition, some cultures respond to surveys with more personal modesty. This

is often seen in Asia and, specifically in this case, Japan and China. Theseresponse tendencies are not specific to ratings about beauty.

Throughout the study we also explored generational breaks – where a younger generationreacts or behaves differently than an older generation within a country. These findings are

noted throughout this paper.

An asterisk ‘*’ next to a number in the embedded charts indicates a difference from the

corresponding audience(s) that is significant at the 95% level of confidence.



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STUDY IMPLICATIONS

We live in a world of stereotypes, judgments and assumptions, which we may not have been party to creating, but which influence us nonetheless. When these stereotypes are

harmful, conscious acknowledgement and discourse around them are the keys to shiftingattitudes, and actions in the future in the direction of greater accuracy and authenticity.

This study – which explores beauty socialization, the harmfulness of current beautystereotypes, and the desire for change – is aimed at shifting the dynamic of beauty

stereotypes for future generations of young girls.

There is no denying that influential beauty stereotypes exist – whether focused on a

western ideal or a stronger local cultural expectation – filling the pages of beauty andfashion magazines, television programming, retail stores and other public environments

globally.

Through this research, we have learned that today’s beauty ideals can create appearanceanxiety for women globally – with girls (15-17) being the most susceptible.

– More than two-thirds of the women studied report that beauty is often too

narrowly defined, which leaves many of these women believing that it is hard to

feel beautiful when confronted with these ideals. – Globally, almost all women report becoming concerned with their overall

physical appearance and body weight and shape at some point in their lives – with

concern over appearance, and action to change it, beginning in adolescence.

– Nine in ten women want to change some aspect of their appearance – with the

greatest dissatisfaction found with their body weight and shape.

This study also examined the correlation between appearance satisfaction and self-esteemglobally – finding a significant relationship between a woman’s satisfaction with her

overall physical appearance and body weight and shape, and her sense of self-worth.

Further, this study explored the projection of high and low self-esteem into engaged vs.

disengaged feelings. Globally, when women feel good about themselves, it is projectedinto feeling confident and loved – which is likely to precipitate engaged behavior.

In comparison, when women feel badly about themselves, it is often expressed in feelings

of insecurity and tiredness – which are likely to precipitate disengagement and activityavoidance.

Since this is the case, it is disheartening, although not surprising, to find that living with

beauty ideals prompts almost seven in ten women globally to withdraw from the normal

activities of life due to feeling badly about their looks – activities such as giving their opinion, going on a date, doing a physical activity, going to school or work, or going on a

job interview.



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In addition, it appears this relationship between beauty and self-esteem can create a

vicious downward cycle, with women who are dissatisfied with their overall physicalappearance and body weight and shape being significantly more likely than women who

are satisfied to take part in more extreme self-modification behaviors (like disorderedeating) and to avoid activities due to feeling badly about their looks.

Encouragingly, the first step taken by women (15-64) globally when feeling badly abouttheir looks is to reach out to others by talking to family and friends – providing a clear

window of opportunity to facilitate a change in discourse and attitudes.

– Following connecting with others, women globally take part in more

disengaged/withdrawing behavior to deal with feeling badly about their looks,like staying home, sleeping or taking a nap, or watching television.

Importantly, women are passionate about changing this dynamic for future generations,

expressing strong desires to create a constructive and early discourse for young girls on

beauty and body image.

– Women around the world expressed a strong desire to “actively engage younggirls about having a realistic and healthy body image,” as well as stating that

“there is a great need to start talking to girls earlier in their lives about what real

beauty is.”

– Globally, women also want young girls to learn to “eat healthily rather than diet”as well as to embrace the idea that “beautiful women come in different colors,shapes and sizes.”

These women also want this constructive conversation to change for themselves, with the

majority of women globally believing that “it is important for women to be moresupportive of other women’s beauty.”

The road to change needs to start early in young girls’ lives (since anxiety around

appearance peaks in adolescence), and the appropriate influencers must be carefully

considered.

This research details the pivotal roles girlfriends (peers) and mothers play in influencing beliefs about beauty and body image.

– Girlfriends and mothers are seen as the earliest and most powerful influencers ona girl’s feelings about her beauty and body image.

– However, maternal influence is related to more positive appearance satisfactionand self-esteem, whereas girlfriends (peers) and the media are related to more

negative appearance satisfaction and self-esteem.



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While much has been written about the influence of the mother in broad socialization,

there is no denying that most girls and women believe that their mothers have positivelyinfluenced their beauty socialization.

– The study found that more than two-thirds of girls (15-17) globally agree that

their mothers have positively influenced their feelings about themselves and their beauty. – Globally, mothers also expressed great anxiety over beauty socialization, with

seven in ten mothers with daughters 17 and under stating that they hope they havenot passed on feelings of self-doubt or insecurity to their daughters.

– Cultural and regional differences in the role and influence of the mother were

uncovered which diverge from the notion of positive maternal influence – particularly in Italy and Japan.



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DETAILED FINDINGS



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I. LIVING WITH BEAUTY IDEALS

Today’s beauty ideals can create a desire for perfection which leaves many womenaround the world with feelings of anxiety and inadequacy about their overall physical

appearance, and especially their body weight and shape.

From the United States to Saudi Arabia, women (15-64) believe that beauty is too

narrowly defined by physical attributes – with nearly seven in ten women globallyagreeing.

– This perception is shared generationally, with mutual agreement among girls (15-17) and grown women (18-64) globally.

– Except in China, where western beauty ideals are a newer phenomenon, thissentiment of a narrow definition of beauty was shared by the majority of women

across all of the countries studied.

This narrow, physical definition of beauty creates an appearance anxiety among a largenumber of women (15-64), particularly girls (15-17), who believe it is hard to personallyfeel beautiful when confronted with today’s beauty ideals – with more than half of all

women globally agreeing.

– This harmful effect is related to age; the younger the girl/woman, the more likelyshe is to personally find it hard to feel beautiful when confronted with these ideals.

– Regionally, this was also a commonly shared sentiment, with the greatest

agreement found among women of Brazil, Great Britain and Saudi Arabia. This

sentiment was more modestly felt by women in Asia and Germany, although even

in these cultures 43-49% of women agreed.

– The study also revealed that more young girls (15-17) in Great Britain than in any

of the other countries surveyed believe it is hard to feel beautiful when confrontedwith these ideals.

– For most of the countries surveyed, there were similar patterns of agreement with

this belief within each country generationally. However, in Great Britain andGermany we see generational differences in this belief, with younger girls (15-17)

significantly more likely than their older counterparts (women 18-64) to agreethat it is hard to personally feel beautiful when confronted with today’s beauty

ideals. This may reflect the influence of peer culture or the media in these

countries, or may reflect some other, unknown factor.



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Today ’s Beauty Ideals

67%

68%

67%

ARG

68%24%74%77%78%79%58%61%85%83%18-64

79%30%78%70%79%81%66%59%74%74%15-17

72%25%75%75%78%79%61%60%81%81%15-64

SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA

54%

61%

56%

ARG

63%43%49%43%57%56%64%58%51%57%18-64

64%52%34%61%59%76%62%53%54%59%15-17

63%45%45%49%58%63%63%57%52%58%15-64


The idea of beauty is often too narrowly defined by physical attributes

It is hard to personally feel beautiful when confronted with today's beauty ideals

Top 2 box of 5 pt. scaleQ28./31. - I am going to read you a list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if you

strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each. If you

don’t know or it doesn’t apply to you, just say so.

-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006

In the context of living with narrow beauty ideals, it is not surprising to learn that nine inten women (15-64) globally want to change some aspect of themselves – with body

weight and shape being the main concerns, followed by height.

– Younger women (15-29), who report greater personal anxiety because of beauty

ideals, are also more likely than their older counterparts (women 30-64) to report

wanting to change their physical appearance.

– Of all the countries studied, Japanese women (15-64), followed by British women,had the highest desire for physical change, whereas Italian women had the lowest

desire. This directly relates to data for these countries on appearance satisfaction

and self-esteem, detailed in section II, where lower self-esteem relates to higher

desire to change one’s physical self.



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Wanting to Change Physical AppearanceRegional Analysis

Want to Change Some Aspect of Physical Appearance

95% 93% 92%89% 89% 88% 87% 87%

78%74%

96%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

JPN GBR CAN USA BRA SAU CHN MEX DEU ITA ARG

Women 15-64

Q16. - Thinking about who you are today, which, if any, of the following aspects of yourself

would you most like to change?

-Excludes none of these,

don’t know and refused


Of all the aspects of appearance evaluated, body weight ranked highest for both girls (15-17) and women (18-64) as a desired area for change.

– For young girls, this was followed by changing their height, and for women

changing their body shape.

It is not clear whether ongoing physical development or shifting cultural

dynamics are influencing the desire for greater height among girls (15-17).

It is important to acknowledge the increasing popularity of leg-lengthening surgery, particularly in Asian countries. Therefore, the

implication for desiring to change one’s height – which ranks highest in

Japan, with a little more than half of girls (15-17) desiring this change – is

alarming.

Not surprisingly, girls (15-17) – who are more prone to facial acne and blemishes due to

ongoing physical development – are significantly more likely than women (18-64) to cite

wanting to change their skin complexion and appearance of the face.

It is also possible that opportunity – particularly the availability and marketing of color

contact lenses to girls – has made changing one’s eye color a significantly greater aspiration for girls (15-17) compared to women (18-64).



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Aspects of Appearance Most Want to ChangeGirls vs. Women

5%

4%

12%

11%

12%

14%

24%

21%

33%

45%

7%

15%

11%

14%

17%

17%

25%

33%

35%

26%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Shape of eyes

Color of eyes

Sense of style

Skin color

Appearance of face

Skin complexion

Hair

Height

Body shape

Body weight

15-17

18-64




don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*Global total does not include Argentina

Local country cultural and social norms also play an influential role in desired physical

changes – particularly when considering one’s hair, skin color and eyes – as do mediarepresentations of westernized features and the constant depiction of Caucasian models

with straight hair, large eyes and long legs.

– A desire to change one’s hair was more often mentioned in Brazil, Asia and Saudi

Arabia than the other countries surveyed. – In addition, changing one’s skin color was a prominent desire in Asia, as well as

changing the shape of one’s eyes in Japan.

– A focus on eyes was also prominent – with changing the color of one’s eyes

mentioned in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, and changing the shape of one’s eyes in Japan.



22

– In Brazil, a woman’s hair (texture, length, color) is often indicative of her socialclass and race, with long, straight hair often being the most desired.

Aspects of Appearance Most Want to Change Total Women 15-64

2%

11%

6%

4%

7%

6%

13%

24%

22%

30%

ARG

3%4%21%4%1%3%2%6%6%2%Shape of eyes

6%1%8%8%6%4%12%11%13%5%Color of eyes

3%15%32%12%2%7%1%8%22%8%Sense of style

14%25%21%12%7%6%4%7%12%3%Skin color

11%15%26%10%6%10%15%9%22%8% Appearance of face

18%29%17%16%3%14%3%13%26%7%Skin complexion

33%33%32%20%12%15%33%18%26%15%Hair

12%18%38%29%26%22%25%29%35%17%Height

20%33%57%30%16%36%33%19%38%25%Body shape

41%43%49%39%25%46%32%35%55%50%Body weight







Aspects of Appearance Most Want to ChangeGirls 15-17

4%

25%

5%

8%

8%

5%

17%

29%

23%

26%

ARG

4%7%34%6%1%4%0%6%9%3%Shape of eyes

13%1%15%15%14%8%21%22%27%10%Color of eyes

4%21%42%10%3%3%1%6%16%8%Sense of style

12%18%25%21%13%12%3%10%22%5%Skin color


20%19%20%21%6%23%3%9%41%8%Skin complexion

38%25%26%17%15%17%31%21%34%22%Hair

19%33%54%37%31%24%35%32%40%30%Height

21%20%57%35%18%31%23%15%28%16%Body shape

32%32%63%33%15%35%31%33%36%38%Body weight


-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused

-Ranked on total women15-64






23

Aspects of Appearance Most Want to Change Women 18-64

0%

5%

7%

3%

6%

6%

11%

21%

22%

32%ARG

3%3%17%3%1%2%3%6%4%1%Shape of eyes

3%1%5%4%2%2%8%6%6%3%Color of eyes

3%13%29%13%2%9%1%9%25%8%Sense of style

14%27%20%8%4%3%4%6%7%3%Skin color


17%32%16%13%2%9%3%15%18%7%Skin complexion

31%36%34%21%10%13%34%17%22%12%Hair

8%13%33%25%23%21%21%28%33%12%Height

20%37%57%28%15%39%38%21%43%29%Body shape

45%46%44%42%30%51%33%36%64%54%Body weightSAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA








24

II. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEAUTY IDEALS, APPEARANCE

SATISFACTION AND SELF-ESTEEM

Living with beauty ideals can negatively influence the way a woman values her physical

self and impact her overall sense of self-worth – with the greatest dissatisfaction ofteninfluenced by perceptions of one’s body image.

Only two in ten women are “very satisfied” with their overall physical appearance and body weight and shape, and less than two in ten women report having “very high” self-

esteem.

– Data collected on personal satisfaction and self-esteem tend to mirror a bell curve,

with most people falling into the middle or “somewhat satisfied” area – becominga somewhat ambiguous category.

– What this data show us is that most women globally fall into the transitional space

– they have a desire to be “better” than they are, but are also vulnerable to the pressure of feeling worse.

These levels of satisfaction and self-esteem are shared by girls (15-17) and women (18-

64) alike.

– However, girls (15-17) are significantly more likely to report low self-esteemcompared to all other age groups – with almost two in ten reporting low self-esteem.

Regionally, Japanese women (15-64), followed by British women, had the lowest

appearance satisfaction and self-esteem, and Saudi women had the highest, compared tothe other countries surveyed.

– This follows the pattern of the earlier findings in which Japanese and British

women had the greatest desire for physical change.

– These findings also mirror cultural norms for Japan, where Japanese women tendto feel shame, self-consciousness, and a longing to be accepted, and for Saudi

Arabia, where Saudi women mirror Muslim religious doctrine on the acceptanceof one’s given appearance.

– In mapping regional appearance satisfaction and self-esteem, the study showed

that Saudi and Mexican women had appearance satisfaction and self-esteem thatwas significantly higher than all of the other countries surveyed (with the

exception of the US on self-esteem). In comparison, Japanese women hadsignificantly lower appearance satisfaction and self-esteem than all of the other

countries surveyed.



25

Appearance and Self-esteemRegional Differences

Total Women 15-64

4.1

3.9

3.8 3.8 3.8

3.7

3.6 3.6

3.4

3.1

4.0

4.1

3.7

3.8 3.8

3.2

3.5

3.3 3.3 3.3

3.0

2.8

4.1 4.1

3.6

3.9

3.6

3.9

4

3.8

3.4

3.2

4.2

4.6

4.2

3.9

4.2

3.9

3.6

3.63.4

3.9

4.0

3.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

4.1

4.3

4.5

4.7

4.9

SAU MEX CHN CAN ITA DEU USA BRA ARG GBR JPN

Overall physical appearance Facial appearance Body weight and shape Self-esteem

Mean scores for satisfaction/self-esteem, Q6, 9-11.

M e a n s a t i s f a c t i o n

-Ranked on overall physical

appearance


Globally, there is a significant correlation between a woman’s appearance satisfaction(overall physical appearance, facial appearance and body weight and shape) and her

sense of self-worth.

– Data indicate that when a woman has a positive sense of self, she is more likely to

be satisfied with her physical self and vice versa.

For half of the women (15-64) studied globally, the causal link between these things isclear – they say when they feel badly about themselves, it usually has to do with their

looks or weight.

– The belief in this causal link is more profound for young girls and women (15-29)than their older counterparts (women 30-64).

– We also find that this causal link is most strongly endorsed among women (15-64)

in Great Britain, Saudi Arabia and the US.

– In comparison, this connection was least likely to be made by women from

Germany, Italy and Japan – and for different reasons. Women in Germany and Italy have higher appearance satisfaction and self-

esteem and are the least likely to want to change their physical appearance. Assuch, these women may attribute feeling badly about themselves to other

aspects of their lives rather than their physical selves. In comparison, Japanese women, who have the lowest appearance satisfaction

and self-esteem of the countries studied, may associate feeling badly with

failing as a person to live up to society’s expectations in general, beyond just physical imperfection.



26

Within most of the countries surveyed, similar patterns were found generationally for the

connection between feeling badly and one’s looks or weight.

– However, we do see a generational difference in Japan and China, where this belief is more strongly held among the younger generation (girls 15-17) than their

older counterparts (women 18-64) – suggesting a trend in these younger generations to associate these bad feelings with perceived physical flaws or inadequacies.

Appearance and Self-esteem

45%

47%

46%

ARG

69%50%30%28%31%72%58%46%49%64%18-64

70%63%52%31%37%73%57%47%57%65%15-17

69%53%36%29%33%72%58%46%52%64%15-64


Top 2 box of 5 pt. scaleQ26. - I am going to read you a list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if you



“When I feel bad about myself it usually has to do with my

looks or weight”




27

SELF-ESTEEM – AGENTS OF ENGAGMENT

A woman’s self-esteem impacts her willingness to engage in life – it can be seen in her face, posture and energy projected to the world daily.

This study has found that globally, when women feel good about themselves, it is projected into feeling confident, loved, healthy, energetic and smart – characteristics that

are likely to promote engagement in daily life.

– Generationally, feeling good about oneself is most often associated with

confidence for both girls (15-17) and women (18-64) alike. This is followed byfeeling energetic for girls (15-17), and feeling loved for women (18-64) – which

aligns with their life-stage. – Feelings associated with appearance, such as feeling beautiful and attractive,

ranked among the lowest of the characteristics studied.

However, girls (15-17) associated appearance-related feelings with their self-esteem more often than women (18-64) – which may be attributed to their greater vulnerability to beauty ideals.

Self-esteem - Positive AssociationsGirls vs. Women

5%

5%

8%

10%

10%

11%

12%

18%

21%

27%

28%

33%

12%

7%

9%

10%

13%

10%

20%

19%

21%

32%

4%

29%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Desired

Beautiful

Attractive

Successful

Talented

Popular

Physically fit

Smart

Energetic

Healthy

Loved

Confident

15-17

18-64

Q7. - When your self-esteem is high and you feel good about yourself, which TWO of thefollowing words would you use to describe yourself? Would you say you are… ? -Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused


*

**

*




28

– Regionally, we see cultural differences come into play in the meaning of feeling

good about oneself. Feeling confident was a sentiment that ranked among the highest in North

America, Latin America and Europe – while feeling healthy ranked among thehighest in Asia, and feeling loved in Saudi Arabia.

Beyond the primary characteristics, we also see feeling smart more often notedin North and Latin America, feeling successful in North America and GreatBritain (US ranking highest), feeling popular in Asia, Argentina and Germany,

feeling physically fit in Japan and Germany and feeling desired in Asia andSaudi Arabia. These characteristics suggest differences in evaluating personal

value ranging from one’s ability (smart, successful) to one’s social

acceptability (popular, desired).

Self-esteem - Positive Associations Total Women 15-64

3%

3%

10%

3%

7%

23%

2%

20%

30%

11%

30%

35%

ARG

4%10%1%6%6%4%19%8%6%8%Beautiful

13%7%8%4%4%3%4%3%3%2%Desired

8%6%4%12%5%10%8%9%5%10% Attractive

11%9%2%8%1%13%4%15%13%19%Successful

11%5%6%8%16%8%10%10%11%13%Talented

2%25%25%22%3%12%6%4%5%4%Popular

4%7%22%24%12%6%8%14%12%6%Physically fit

13%16%9%7%20%10%33%29%24%25%Smart

19%22%25%27%46%25%12%11%26%21%Energetic

15%32%47%23%8%23%25%29%22%14%Healthy

52%20%21%20%12%30%26%21%26%31%Loved

34%32%8%32%27%48%35%43%39%35%Confident


Q7. - When your self-esteem is high and you feel good about yourself, which TWO of the

following words would you use to describe yourself? Would you say you are… ?




This study has also found that globally, when women feel badly about themselves, it is

projected into feeling tired and insecure – characteristics that are likely to promote

activity avoidance, withdrawal and disengagement from daily life.

– Although a feeling of insecurity and tiredness ranked among the top two for bothgirls and women globally – generationally, girls (15-17) more often associate

feeling badly with feeling insecure, whereas women (18-64) are more likely to

associate feeling badly with being tired – reflective of life stage of developmentvs. maturity.

– Girls (15-17), who often have a more fragile sense of self, are significantly morelikely than women (18-64) to report feeling stupid or ugly when feeling badly

about themselves.



29

Importantly, associations with appearance, particularly body image (out-of-shape, fat),

were more likely to be noted when considering negative feelings or poor self-esteem thanwhen considering positive feelings or high self-esteem.

– Beyond tired and insecure, feeling badly was also associated with physical/body

image doubts like feeling fat for girls (15-17) and feeling out-of-shape for women(18-64).

Self-esteem - Negative AssociationsGirls vs. Women

4%

4%

4%

6%

7%

7%

8%

9%

13%

16%

19%

26%

42%

7%

11%

12%

9%

9%

9%

11%

11%

12%

12%

32%

29%

14%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Unpopular

Ugly

Stupid

Unloved

Worthless

Undesirable

Unattractive

Incompetent

Fat

Unhealthy

Out of shape

Insecure

Tired

15-17

18-64

-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64

Q8. - When your self-esteem is low and you feel badly about yourself, which TWO of the


**

*

*

*

*

*


Regionally, feeling fat was more often noted by women of the US and the UK compared

to all other countries surveyed. Saudi women had the highest mention of feeling out-of-shape, followed by Italy, the US, Japan and Canada.



30

Self-esteem - Negative Associations Total Women 15-64

11%

8%

4%

9%

9%

3%

8%

5%

12%

8%

9%

35%

40%

ARG

1%10%1%4%5%5%14%6%7%7%Ugly

3%13%13%4%1%4%4%8%9%4%Stupid

5%12%2%7%3%5%4%4%3%4%Unpopular

10%6%1%6%5%9%10%13%5%7%Unloved

5%10%9%6%11%7%6%2%8%8%Worthless

12%5%25%3%6%7%6%3%6%4%Undesirable

3%16%6%8%6%19%10%8%9%7%Unattractive

4%18%11%7%8%8%12%7%11%9%Incompetent

4%16%8%7%6%21%15%15%14%22%Fat

20%16%8%44%5%15%6%15%15%12%Unhealthy

25%9%22%4%24%17%16%11%21%22%Out of shape

20%14%22%33%35%29%42%43%27%21%Insecure

34%18%26%49%39%45%34%51%45%49%Tired


Q8. - When your self-esteem is low and you feel badly about yourself, which TWO of the





This self-esteem projection mapping also helped isolate links within countries for

positive and negative associations with beauty, acceptance, societal role and health.

– Brazilian women (15-64) exhibit the strongest connection between self-esteem

and beauty and are most likely to report feeling beautiful when feeling good about

themselves, and feeling ugly when feeling badly about themselves, compared to

women of all the other countries surveyed. – In Asia, women (15-64) have the strongest connection between self-esteem and

acceptance – which aligns culturally with a focus on community and belonging.

When feeling good about themselves, Asian women are most likely to report

feeling popular, yet when feeling badly, it is projected in feeling stupid,undesirable (Japan), incompetent and unpopular (China).

o A similar relationship with acceptance was seen in Argentina – which had

a relationship with self-esteem and personal feelings being projected to

feeling popular or unpopular.



31

– Saudi women have the strongest connection between self-esteem and feeling

loved/desired – which mirrors societal expectations of their role and the emphasison family life. When feeling good about themselves, they are more likely than

women of other countries to feel loved and desired. Yet, when feeling badly, theymore often associate it with feeling unloved and undesirable, as well as out-of-

shape and unhealthy. The impact of this societal role on self-esteem is further exemplified when

evaluating married vs. unmarried Saudi women. Married Saudi women are

significantly more likely than their unmarried counterparts to report feelingloved when feeling good about themselves. However, when feeling badly,

unmarried Saudi women are more likely to feel out-of-shape or unpopular

compared to their married counterparts. – In Germany, women have a more significant connection between their self-esteem

and health than other countries surveyed. When feeling good about themselves,they are more likely than women of other countries to associate it with feeling

physically fit. Yet, when feeling badly, they more often associate it with feeling

unhealthy.



32

III. INFLUENCE OF BEAUTY IDEALS ON HOW WOMEN LIVE THEIR

LIVES

Appearance satisfaction and self-esteem can influence the manner in which women take

care of themselves both physically and emotionally, and in the way they live their lives.

In order to better understand this, the study explored conventional and more extreme self-

modification behaviors, as well as engagement and disengagement behaviors around beauty and well-being.

While the majority of women (15-64) globally turn to conventional beauty practices toenhance their looks, a significant minority are also adopting more extreme methods.

Further, and most startling, women globally allow their anxious and self-critical feelings

around beauty and body image to negatively influence their engagement in a wide range

of activities of daily life.

IMPACT OF BEAUTY IDEALS ON BEAUTY ENGAGEMENT

The majority of women (15-64) globally take part in beauty practices, like wearing make-

up, manicuring nails or straightening hair, to enhance their physical look.

– The study found these beauty practices to be intergenerational – being shared

globally among girls (15-17) and women (18-64) alike.

– In addition, these practices were similarly conducted by women who were

satisfied or dissatisfied with their overall physical appearance and body weightand shape.

– These behaviors were also similarly practiced across all regions of the worldsurveyed, with Japanese women (15-64) reporting the highest involvement and

Saudi women reporting the lowest involvement. However, a generational shift appears to be occurring in Saudi Arabia, with

Saudi girls (15-17) more likely than Saudi women (18-64) to take part in these

activities – suggesting a divergence from currently held social norms (49% vs.29%).

The study also explored involvement with dieting and disordered eating. While there aremany reasons for these behaviors (from enhancing physical appearance to emotional and

physical well-being, attempts to curb the spread of obesity, and personal control), thisstudy’s sole aim was to showcase involvement.



33

Of the countries studied, four in ten women (15-64) globally report ever dieting – with

significant differences noted by region and age.

– Six in ten women (18-64) in Canada, Argentina and Great Britain, and five in tenwomen (18-64) in Japan, the US, Brazil and Germany report having ever dieted.

– The lowest level of dieting is seen among women (18-64) in China (20%) andSaudi Arabia (28%).

– Overall, dieting was more often practiced by women (18-64) – who tend to have

greater problems with weight control as they age – than girls (15-17). – Japanese girls (15-17), who have the lowest appearance satisfaction and self-

esteem of all girls globally, had the highest level of reported dieting – half of all

Japanese girls (15-17). This was followed by Brazil, Germany, Great Britain,Argentina and Mexico, where the practice was reported by four in ten girls (15-

17).

Importantly, the concept of “dieting” was not defined in the study and may be interpreted

differently by region – from losing weight to eating healthily to expectations of one’s rolewithin the community. Dieting can be a practice in which women feel they are taking careof themselves as well as an indicator of body dissatisfaction which requires the control of

desire for food. Normative practices such as dieting are often taken for granted and not

scrutinized for what they reveal about our cultural attitudes towards beauty and the body.Where dieting is normative, the word “dieting” may have been interpreted to mean

extreme food restriction.

One in ten women (15-64) globally acknowledges disordered eating behaviors, such as

compulsive eating and throwing up, or refusing to eat. While this number may appear

low, it is an important global acknowledgement, since this behavior is often under-

reported and in some cultures may have become commonplace.

– This behavior was more often reported by girls (15-17) than women (18-64). – Italy, followed by Brazil, had the highest reported level of this practice,

particularly among girls – with a third of Italian girls (15-17) reporting engaging

in disordered eating behaviors. – The lowest involvement with disordered eating was reported in China.

– While Saudi women had among the lowest level of reported dieting, they had thesame level of involvement with disordered eating as North America and Europe –

suggesting a more complicated relationship with this behavior.



34

Evaluating these body-related behaviors in the context of appearance satisfaction and

self-esteem highlights a harmful cycle among women.

– Women (15-64) who are dissatisfied with their overall physical appearance and body weight and shape are significantly more likely than those who are satisfied

to have ever been on a diet or practiced disordered eating. – Further, these same women – who are dissatisfied with their overall physical

appearance and body weight and shape – are more likely than their satisfied

counterparts to take part in negative coping mechanisms, like eating or disorderedeating, when feeling badly about the way they look.

Cosmetic surgery and procedures are still the least practiced beauty behavior of thoseconsidered – with the highest reported level of this practice in Brazil out of all countries

surveyed.

Activities Personally Engaged In Total Women 15-64

3%

13%

53%

77%

ARG

0%1%1%2%2%2%5%3%3%4%

Having cosmetic surgery or

procedures, like a nose job,breast implants or wrinkle

injections

9%1%6%9%21%10%19%11%11%10%

Behaviors like compulsive

eating and throwing up, or

refusing to eat

25%19%54%47%39%53%49%41%50%46%Dieting

35%69%90%85%66%80%66%67%76%72%

Beauty practices like

wearing makeup,

manicuring nails or

straightening of hair



Q21. - Which of the following activities have you personally ever taken part in?

*Due to small base, data on cosmetic surgery should be viewed as directional only




35

Activities Personally Engaged InGirls 15-17

0%

14%

41%

82%

ARG

1%1%4%0%1%1%1%2%1%3%


procedures, like a nose job,

breast implants or wrinkle

injections

9%0%8%12%34%14%22%9%17%9%



refusing to eat

19%17%51%42%29%41%42%40%27%26%Dieting

49%41%94%85%59%87%69%74%83%78%


wearing makeup,

manicuring nails or






*Due to small base, data on cosmetic surgery should be viewed as directional


Activities Personally Engaged In Women 18-64

5%

13%

59%

75%

ARG

0%1%0%2%2%2%6%4%4%5%


procedures, like a nose job,

breast implants or wrinkle

injections

8%1%5%8%15%8%17%12%9%11%



refusing to eat

28%20%54%49%44%59%53%41%61%53%Dieting

29%78%89%84%69%77%65%64%72%70%


wearing makeup,

manicuring nails or






*Due to small base, data on cosmetic surgery should be viewed as directional




36

While only two percent of women (15-64) globally say they have had plastic surgery or

procedures, a quarter of women say that at some point they would consider it – suggesting a more open mindset to this practice in the future.

– This future openness to cosmetic surgery and procedures was shared across age

ranges, with those 18-44 having the highest future consideration. – Importantly, almost a quarter of girls (15-17) reported that “at some point I would

consider getting plastic or cosmetic surgery to enhance my looks.”

– For the most part, future consideration of cosmetic surgery and procedures washighest in Latin cultures, like Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, as well as Saudi

Arabia.

– Importantly, unlike other countries whose older generation has a higher futureconsideration of plastic or cosmetic surgery, in Asia and Saudi Arabia the

younger generation (girls 15-17) outpaces their older counterparts (18-64) on thisfuture consideration – suggesting a generational break in which acceptability

diverges from cultural norms.

Future Consideration for Plastic Surgery

48%

28%

41%

ARG

27%9%10%23%13%21%68%45%21%28%18-64

37%19%17%21%14%27%52%25%14%18%15-17

30%11%12%23%13%23%63%38%18%25%15-64


“At some point, I would consider getting plastic or cosmetic surgery

to enhance my looks”

Q30. - I am going to read you a list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if you strongly

agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each. If you don’t

know or it doesn’t apply to you, just say so.

Top 2 box of 5 pt. scale




37

IMPACT OF BEAUTY IDEALS ON LIFE ENGAGEMENT AND SELF-

ACTUALIZATION

One driving hypothesis for this study was that beauty beliefs impact women’s actions

significantly – not just their actions in regard to beauty but their actions more broadly. If true, this hypothesis has profound implications for women’s self-actualization.Specifically, we hypothesized that appearance anxiety may lead to withdrawal and

disengagement from crucial acts of daily life for women globally. We found a great dealof evidence to support this hypothesis.

– The study found that two-thirds of women (15-64) globally have avoided anactivity due to feeling badly about the way they looked. Activity avoidance is more often practiced by girls (15-17) – who appear to

have greater vulnerability to beauty ideals and low self-esteem – than grown

women (18-64).

– Regionally, women in Japan had the highest level of activity avoidance of allcountries surveyed, followed by Great Britain and the US. This follows the pattern for Japan and Great Britain, where women have the

lowest appearance satisfaction and self-esteem, and the greatest desire to

change their physical selves.

Culturally, avoidance among Japanese women may be attributed to a feeling of

shame, and a desire to not fail to deliver on societal expectations, particularlywhen appearance is a primary factor of acceptance.

– Chinese, Mexican and Argentinean women (15-64) were the least likely to avoid

activities when feeling badly about their looks. Women of China and Mexico

were also among the most satisfied with their overall physical appearance.

Avoidance of Activities

Due to Feeling Badly about One’s Looks

Have Avoided Activities

72% 71% 69%65% 65% 64% 63%

58%54%

43%

94%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

JPN GBR USA DEU ITA SAU CAN BRA MEX ARG CHN

Women 15-64


Q19. - Which, if any, of the following things have you ever chosen NOTto do

because you felt badly about how you looked? You can say yes or no to

each.




38

Not surprisingly, activities which require revealing or showcasing one’s looks – like

going to the beach, a party or club, shopping for clothes or doing a physical activity – were among the most often avoided.

More alarmingly, a number of women (15-64), particularly girls (15-17), did not take part

in self-actualizing activities – like giving their opinion, going on a job interview,attending school or work – because of feeling badly about how they looked.

– Further, one in ten women (15-64) puts her health at risk by avoiding going to thedoctor because of feeling badly about her looks. This number is highest in Japan,

particularly among young Japanese girls (15-17).

Activities Avoided

Due to Feeling Badly about One’s Looks

Girls vs. Women

8%

11%

13%

17%

16%

16%

18%

19%

23%

25%

29%

7%

16%

15%

13%

20%

19%

18%

18%

25%

29%

17%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Go to work

Go to school

Go to the doctor

Go on a job interview

Give opinion

Go on a date*

Try out for a team or club

Do a physical activity or sport, like exercising or biking

Go shopping for clothes

Go to a social event, party or club

Go to the beach, pool, sauna or spa

15-17

18-64


because you felt badly about how you looked? You can say yes or no to each.

-Excludes never felt badly, none of these, don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women 15-64

**”Go on a date” not asked in Saudi Arabia

*

*

*

*




39

Activities AvoidedDue to Feeling Badly about One’s Looks

Total Women 15-64

1%

4%

7%

5%

9%

8%

11%

10%

15%

10%

29%

ARG

5%2%32%8%2%2%4%4%5%10%Go to work

12%5%39%14%7%11%7%4%8%13%Go to school

14%2%51%12%3%5%7%8%9%14%Go to the doctor

8%11%61%19%3%7%9%4%7%15%Go on a job interview

11%4%49%22%10%15%6%9%20%17%Give opinion

NA12%46%27%8%10%13%11%15%22%Go on a date*

6%7%62%14%9%10%10%5%18%26%Try out for a team or club

11%8%32%20%8%23%16%17%24%27%

Do a physical activity or

sport, like exercising or

biking

15%9%30%25%13%21%18%23%23%30%Go shopping for clothes

21%18%55%27%13%25%19%16%20%28%Go to a social event, party

or club

12%16%44%35%12%37%30%24%32%45%Go to the beach, pool,sauna or spa


-Excludes never felt badly, none of these,

don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women 15-64


because you felt badly about how you looked? You can say yes or no to each.

*”Go on a date” not asked in Saudi Arabia


Encouragingly, when women (15-64) feel badly about how they look, they are likely to

reach out to others first, by talking to family and friends – suggesting that an opportunityexists to influence this discourse on beauty and body image.

– Importantly, girls (15-17), who appear to more personally feel the impact of

beauty ideals, are especially likely to use this communication coping mechanism.

– Connecting with others when feeling badly about one’s looks was least often donein China, followed by Argentina and Italy.

Following talking to others, less proactive, more disengaged/withdrawn behaviors were

used to deal with feeling badly about one’s looks, including staying home, sleeping or taking a nap, or watching television.

– Chinese women were more likely to take part in these disengaged behaviors than

women from the other countries surveyed.



40

Activities Spurred by Feeling Badly

About One’s looks

Girls vs. Women

4%

10%

11%

15%

16%

18%

17%

17%

17%

20%

23%

4%

12%

12%

17%

15%

14%

20%

19%

18%

28%

20%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Behaviors like compulsive eating and throwing u p, or

refusing to eat

Crying

Eating

Going shopping

Reading a book

Beauty treatments, like manicuring nails or getting hair

done

Exercising

Watching television

Sleeping or taking a nap

Staying home

Talking to family and friends

15-17

18-64

Q20. - When you feel badly about how you look, in which TWO, if any, of the following

activities are you most likely to take part? Would you say…?

-Excludes never felt badly,

none of these, don’t knowand refused-Ranked on total women 15-64

*

*

*

*

*


Beyond the primary coping mechanisms, there are culturally unique mechanisms that are

important to note.

– Saudi women, particularly Saudi girls (15-17), are more likely than women of the

other countries studied to report crying as a primary response to feeling badly

about their looks. The availability of other coping mechanisms may be limited for

these women, and crying is seen as a culturally acceptable behavior. – Brazilian women had the highest mention of getting beauty treatments, like

manicuring their nails, to deal with bad feelings about their looks. These women

also had the highest connection between self-esteem and beauty.

– British women had the highest mention of eating and disordered eating as copingmechanisms when feeling badly about their looks. These women also had amongthe lowest satisfaction with their body weight and shape in a country with a

growing obesity problem.

– With self-esteem more often associated with physical fitness and health for

German women, it is not surprising to learn that these women had the highestmention of exercising as a coping mechanism, followed by Mexico and Canada.



41

Activities Spurred by Feeling Badly

About One’s Looks

4%

9%

9%

13%

15%

11%

17%

16%

15%

21%

15%

ARG

7%1%1%3%6%8%6%4%4%5%Behaviors like compulsiveeating and throwing up, or

refusing to eat

31%4%6%6%10%11%12%13%6%9%Crying

9%13%7%6%14%17%12%8%13%13%Eating

8%16%25%14%6%23%10%16%20%17%Going shopping

16%9%20%19%14%11%14%17%19%19%Reading a book

3%22%20%22%7%18%26%16%14%15%Beauty treatments, likemanicuring nails or getting hair

done

7%16%15%31%13%17%15%28%26%13%Exercising

21%25%13%11%14%17%24%16%19%17%Watching television

23%22%18%18%12%11%13%17%19%23%Sleeping or taking a nap

19%30%14%15%11%17%26%19%19%20%Staying home

20%12%42%32%17%23%24%24%25%23%Talking to family and friends

SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSAWomen 15-64

-Excludes never felt badly, none

of these, don’t know andrefused-Ranked on total women 15-64

Q20. - When you feel badly about how you look, in which TWO, if any, of the following

activities are you most likely to take part? Would you say…?




42

IV. REVEALING THE EARLY INFLUENCES OF BEAUTY SOCIALIZATION

WISHES GROWING UP

When we think about the fact that most women globally are living in a transitional spacewhen it comes to their appearance satisfaction and self-esteem – believing they can be better, and yet vulnerable to feeling worse – it is not surprising to find that the vast

majority of girls (15-17) globally believe changing some aspect about themselves wouldmake them feel better [97%].

– Most girls (15-17) today are focused on being more confident, thinner, taller andmore athletic to feel better about themselves – directly linking to appearance

satisfaction and self-esteem. – A desire to be smarter was also prevalent in Asia, Mexico and Latin America.

– A change in skin color also played a significant role – with girls from Europe and

Canada wanting darker or more tanned skin, and girls from Asia and Saudi Arabiawanting lighter or fairer skin. – More so than any other country studied, girls in Saudi Arabia believe being

wealthier will make them feel better about themselves.

Wishes Now Girls 15-17

0%

7%

3%

8%

7%

23%

13%

25%

17%

20%

36%

ARG

13%12%15%2%0%2%0%6%7%8%Lighter or fairer skinned

14%3%14%3%11%3%10%5%7%7%Curvier

21%6%8%10%4%14%5%4%9%9%Wealthier

3%1%2%29%20%27%6%5%24%19%Darker or more tanned

skinned

18%24%25%10%8%19%17%9%11%11%Prettier

17%37%20%7%2%13%21%33%14%14%Smarter

14%25%17%16%26%20%20%8%17%22%More outgoing

15%25%22%23%22%9%31%23%18%19%Taller

23%16%18%28%12%19%14%29%32%22%More athletic

10%23%19%21%16%32%24%24%23%32%Thinner

26%25%21%27%35%34%32%47%22%21%More confident




Q15A. - Which TWO, if any, of the following things do you believe would make you feel better about yourself? Would you say being…?




43

In retrospect, most women (18-64) agree that growing up they believed that changing

something – being more confident and outgoing, followed by thinner – would have madethem feel better about themselves [94%]. The most prominent of these sentiments are

shared across the regions studied.

Wishes Growing Up Women 18-64

1%

4%

7%

5%

20%

10%

16%

15%

17%

22%

32%

ARG

12%11%13%0%1%1%2%8%0%3%Lighter or fairer skinned

1%0%0%10%4%14%12%7%7%7%Darker or more tanned

skinned

19%4%21%5%6%6%13%5%6%11%Curvier

15%12%8%7%6%17%12%3%12%14%Prettier

10%6%16%15%26%17%22%27%18%11%Taller

14%21%24%17%9%17%10%9%19%17%Wealthier

17%11%24%10%6%13%23%30%10%18%Smarter

20%28%15%20%9%10%10%23%17%15%More athletic

15%21%11%14%15%20%21%18%24%21%Thinner

11%31%28%19%20%25%16%15%28%27%More outgoing

29%45%24%30%26%40%25%39%26%21%More confident



Q15B. - When you were growing up, which TWO, if any, of the following

things did you believe would have made you feel better about yourself?

Would you say being…?




44

THINKING ABOUT WHEN IT STARTED

As is the case with all retrospective data, people (and in this case women) only project back a certain period of time As such, the younger women are, the younger they claim to

have been when they first became concerned about their overall physical appearance and body weight and shape.

Therefore, the most reliable data on this matter comes from girls (15-17) whoseexperiences are closest in proximity.

– One in ten girls globally recalls becoming concerned about her overall physicalappearance, facial appearance and body weight and shape between 6-11 years old,

with the majority becoming concerned between 12-14 years old. – The average age that concern over physical appearance and body weight and

shape began was 13 years of age for girls from most of the countries surveyed,

with the exception of Argentina, Italy, China and Saudi Arabia, where concern began slightly later at 14 years of age.

Age Became ConcernedGirls 15-17

Average Age (Mean)

14

14

14

ARG

14141313141413141314Body weight and shape

13141313141313131313Facial appearance

14141313141313131313Overall physical appearance


-Excludes never, don’t knowand refused

Q12-14. – At what age, if ever, did you begin to become concerned about

each of the following in yourself? If never, just say so. When you think about

[FEATURE], would you say you began to become concerned about it when

you were…?


Notably, the earlier in their lives these girls first became concerned about their overall

physical appearance and body weight and shape, the lower their satisfaction and self-esteem today – signaling a need for more constructive beauty socialization earlier in

girls’ lives.



45

Further, the age of onset of concern corresponds with the age at which most women (15-

64) act on this concern, and remember starting their self-modification behaviors, likewearing make-up, dieting and disordered eating.

– Regionally, girls (15-17) in Brazil report starting to wear makeup on average at 12,

in the US report eating disorders on average as young as 12, and in Canada, theUK and Saudi Arabia report starting to diet on average at 13. – These practices tended to be started at a later age among girls (15-17) from

Mexico, Argentina, Italy and China.

As such, trends in disordered eating and body image difficulties in young girls are

alarming.

Age Started Beauty RegimenGirls 15-17

Average Age (Mean)

NA

14

14

14

ARG

NANANANANANANANANANA

Having cosmetic surgery or procedures, like a nose job,

breast implants or wrinkleinjections

13151414151314151314Dieting

16NA1513141314141312Behaviors like compulsive


refusing to eat

14151313141312141313Beauty practices like wearing

makeup, manicuring nails or straightening of hair


-Excludes don’t know andrefused-NA – no mentions or basetoo small for analysis

Q22-25. – I am going to read the same list of activities. Now, please tell me at

what age you recall first doing each of the following activities? The first/next

activity is [ACTIVITY]; would you say you first recall doing this when you

were…?




46

For all but a small percentage of girls and women globally, beauty is a source of concern

and worry – with few women globally saying they have never been concerned about their overall physical appearance or body weight and shape.

– Only 8% of women (15-64) surveyed have never been concerned about their

overall physical appearance. – Only one in ten women (15-64) has never been concerned about her body weight

and shape.

– 99% of Saudi women report becoming concerned about their overall physicalappearance at some point in their lives, the highest of all the countries surveyed –

in direct conflict with the majority of these women saying they are satisfied with

their physical appearance and have very high self-esteem. – Argentinean and Italian women are the least likely globally to report ever

becoming concerned about their physical selves, which mirrors their lack of desireto change their appearance – the lowest level of desire to change of all the

countries surveyed.

Argentinean girls (15-17) are more likely than girls of any of the other countries studied to say they never became concerned about their overall physical appearance and body weight and shape.

A fundamental generational break exists among Italian women, with 20% of

Italian women (18-64) reporting never becoming concerned about their overall

physical appearance compared to only 4% of girls 15-17. This suggests that the

younger generation of Italian girls may not be as protected from beauty idealsas grown Italian women.

Never Concerned

19%

22%

20%

ARG

2%3%9%5%20%14%5%13%13%8%18-64

1%8%11%2%4%11%3%8%9%7%15-17

1%4%9%4%15%13%4%11%12%7%15-64


35%

30%

34%

ARG

7%4%12%17%36%31%7%23%25%19%18-64

0%10%9%10%4%14%1%13%15%13%15-17

5%5%11%15%26%26%5%20%22%17%15-64


18%

25%

20%

ARG

9%4%12%11%23%14%6%15%12%6%18-64

6%13%11%5%8%3%6%6%10%12%15-17

8%7%12%9%18%11%6%12%12%8%15-64


Overall Physical Appearance

Facial Appearance

Body weight and shape

Q12-14. – At what age, if ever, did you begin to become concerned about

each of the following in yourself? If never, just say so. When you think about

[FEATURE], would you say you began to become concerned about it whenyou were…?




47

INFLUENCERS ON FEELINGS ABOUT BEAUTY AND BODY IMAGE

In order to determine the most relevant channels for shifting the beauty socializationdynamic, the study explored influencers on beauty and body image among girls and

grown women.

As self-reported data, this analysis can not take into account subconscious influences, yet

provides important learning on the openness and accountability required from influencers.

With many girls (15-17) becoming concerned about their physical appearance in general,

and their body weight and shape specifically, on average between 13-14 years of age, it isnot surprising to learn that the earliest and most powerful influencers for all women (15-

64) on feelings about beauty and body image are girlfriends (peers) and mothers,followed by the media.

– This is not to say that boys/men don’t play pivotal roles in influencing girls’ (15-17) and women’s (18-64) feelings about their beauty and body image, particularlyas romantic partners and fathers – but they may be seen as playing a secondaryrole.

Romantic partners play a more powerful role as women age.

For most of the countries surveyed, girlfriends and mothers play a primary role – however, cultural and generational differences in the role and influence of the mother doexist.

– Mothers play a pivotal role as earliest and most powerful influencer on beauty and

body image in countries like Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, wherethe sphere of influence is more closely centered on the home and family. Mothers

also play a powerful role in the US. – However, in countries like Japan and Italy, the role of the mother is far less

pronounced than in any of the other countries surveyed, suggesting a generational

break in beauty beliefs. For Japanese women (15-64) this influencer role is usurped by the media and

famous individuals, while in Italy it is taken by boys in general and romantic partners.

In these cases, where a generational break may be occurring, girlfriends, the

media and boys/romantic partners may more closely resemble girls’ aspirationsand desired roles than the beliefs held by elder generations.

– Boys in general play a significant role as earliest and most powerful influencer for girls (15-17) in Italy, the US, Canada and Great Britain – where these kinds of

relationships may be more acceptable at this age.

– In addition, fathers play a significant role as early influencers in China, Argentinaand Saudi Arabia – which fits culturally with their prominent role.



48

Earliest Influence – Beauty and Body ImageGirls 15-17

0%

2%

0%

12%

3%

11%

4%

15%

10%

17%

10%

43%

29%

ARG

0%2%0%1%2%4%4%5%5%6%Grandmother

3%3%2%2%1%2%2%4%1%1%Men in general

1%1%0%1%1%0%0%1%0%3%Grandfather

12%13%0%5%3%6%4%5%7%5%Father

1%3%9%2%6%4%5%6%5%4%Women in general

12%13%2%16%32%23%12%1%23%30%Boys in general

5%21%27%13%8%23%3%9%19%14%Famous individuals, like

celebrities or singers

16%33%19%15%13%24%4%1%21%20%Girls in general

1%1%2%12%14%9%9%8%4%7% A romantic partner or spouse

26%12%8%11%5%20%12%28%15%17%Siblings

7%12%35%17%15%27%14%25%29%25%The media, like television,

magazines and the Internet

47%32%8%22%9%26%57%42%24%28%Mother

38%48%55%51%34%22%56%53%28%25%Girlfriends




Q17. - Which TWO of the following people or things had the earliest influence on your

feelings about your own beauty and body image?


Most Powerful Influence – Beauty and Body Image

Girls 15-17

0%

3%

1%

9%

11%

3%

2%

9%

15%

9%

14%

35%

30%

ARG

0%2%1%2%0%1%6%3%7%12%Grandmother

1%0%0%2%2%5%5%10%3%2%Men in general

0%0%0%1%0%1%1%0%1%2%Grandfather

7%9%1%5%5%5%7%7%13%7%Father

14%16%1%21%28%27%15%6%23%23%Boys in general

5%28%28%8%6%21%7%11%11%9%Famous individuals, like

celebrities or singers

2%4%7%4%5%6%4%11%3%7%Women in general

22%29%29%14%13%23%6%1%22%18%Girls in general

37%11%8%11%4%16%10%16%13%12%Siblings

6%16%48%14%12%15%7%13%14%17%The media, like television,

magazines and the Internet

1%1%1%13%15%19%12%10%16%16% A romantic partner or spouse

36%32%4%23%12%23%52%43%29%40%Mother

42%44%43%39%32%23%49%49%24%22%Girlfriends




Q18. - Which TWO of the following people or things has had the most powerful influence on

your feelings about your own beauty and body image?




49

While girlfriends and mothers both play pivotal roles as the earliest and most powerful

influencer, the impact of that influence is decidedly different, with maternal influencecorresponding with higher appearance satisfaction and self-esteem, and girlfriends’

(peers’) influence corresponding with lower appearance satisfaction and self-esteem.

– This same relationship is noted when examining family of origin vs. moreexternal influencers – the farther away from the family nucleus, the more negativethe relationship with appearance satisfaction and self-esteem.

– This negative relationship is the most profound when the media/famousindividuals are the primary source of earliest or most powerful influence on a

girl’s feelings about her beauty and body image.

Impact of Earliest Influencers On Satisfaction

Not the Same

Girls 15-17 – All Influencers

4.0

3.9 3.9

3.8 3.8 3.8

3.7

3.6

3.9

3.8 3.8

3.7

3.8

3.6 3.6

3.4

3.8

3.9

3.8

3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7

3.5

3.6

4.0

4.1

4.2

3.9

4.0

3.9

3.6

3.6

3.63.6

3.7

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

4.4

Mothe rs F ath er R oma nticpartner

Siblings Grandparents Boys/men ingeneral

Girlfriends Girls/womenin general

Media/Famousindividuals


Mean scores for satisfaction/self-esteem, Q6, 9-11. – segmented by earliest

influence Q17.

Earliest influencers

Influencer Impact on Satisfaction for:


-Ranked on overall physicalappearance




50

Impact of Most Powerful Influencers On Satisfaction

Not the Same

Girls 15-17 – All Influencers

3.9

3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8

3.7

3.6

3.5

3.8 3.8

4.1

3.5

3.7

3.5

3.3 3.3

3.9

3.8

3.7

3.8 3.8

3.7

3.6

3.8

3.5

4.0 4.0

3.93.9

4.04.0

3.7 3.7 3.7

3.6

3.6

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

4.4

Mothers S ib li ngs Boys/men i n

general

Romantic

partner

Father Girlfriends Girls/women in

general

Grandparents Me dia/Famous

individuals


Mean scores for satisfaction/self-esteem, Q6, 9-11. – segmented by most

powerful influence Q18.

Most powerful influencers

Influencer Impact on Satisfaction for:


-Ranked on overall physical

appearance


Further, when mothers are reported as the primary influencer, other family members are

also more likely to play a significant role and, in turn, the media a less significant role.

However, when girlfriends (peers) are reported as the primary influencer, mothers and

other family members play a far less significant role, with the media and famous

individuals playing a more significant role.

This positive association with maternal influence is further verified through girls’ and

women’s accounts of these relationships.

– Close to half of women (15-64) globally believe their mothers’ ideas of beautyhave shaped their own. This belief was most strongly held in Saudi Arabia, the US, Mexico and

Canada.

Only a quarter of Italian women agreed with this sentiment, the lowest of all

the countries surveyed – supporting the generational break on beauty beliefsdiscussed earlier.



51

– Six in ten women (15-64) globally believe their mothers have positively

influenced their feelings about themselves and their beauty. The younger the girl/woman, the more likely she is to agree that her mother

positively influenced her feelings about herself and her beauty – with girls (15-17) the most likely to agree.

This belief was more pronounced in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Canada, Argentinaand the US.

Japanese women were the least likely to agree that their mother had positively

influenced their feelings about themselves and their beauty. This correspondswith a generational break which may be fueling openness to external

influencers, such as girlfriends and the media/celebrities, to guide beliefs about

beauty and body image.

Influence of Mother

63%

85%

71%

ARG

79%49%32%55%54%62%52%67%70%68%18-64

82%56%36%61%64%77%78%84%74%77%15-17

80%51%33%57%57%67%60%73%71%70%15-64


50%

46%

49%

ARG

65%46%41%42%26%42%43%53%56%61%18-64

71%54%50%40%22%46%59%61%51%44%15-17

67%48%43%42%25%43%48%56%54%57%15-64


My mother has positively influenced my feelings about myself and my beauty

My mother’s ideas of beauty have shaped my own

Top 2 box of 5 pt. scaleQ27/29. - I am going to read you a list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if you



Agree (Top 2 Box – Strongly/Somewhat Agree)




52

V. REBUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF BEAUTY BELIEFS FOR FUTURE

GENERATIONS

REFLECTING BACK

For most girls (15-17) and women (18-64), a change in the portrayal of beauty ideals andcommunication when they were growing up would have been welcomed.

Of those surveyed, more than half of women (15-64) globally wish that as young girls

they had seen girls and women in magazines that looked more like them.

– This sentiment is held more strongly by girls and young women (15-29) compared

to their older counterparts (30-64) – suggesting a growing expectation of and belief in a more democratic view of beauty.

– With the exception of Japan and Saudi Arabia – where individual aspiration is

less valued – this belief was held across all the regions surveyed. – However, we continue to see a generational break influenced by modernity in

these countries, with the younger generation of Japanese and Saudi girls (15-17)more likely than their older counterparts (women 18-64) to agree with this desire.

Further, half of women (15-64) surveyed globally wished that their mothers had talked to

them more often about their beauty and body image when they were growing up.

– This sentiment is least prevalent among girls (15-17), who are proclaiming their

independence from their mothers, and held most strongly among women 18-44.

– Regionally this sentiment was most prevalent in some cultures where the sphere

of influence is more closely centered on the home and family, like Mexico, Brazil,China and Saudi Arabia.

– This belief was weakest in Italy, particularly among the younger generation of girls (15-17) – which is not surprising since they do not feel that their mothers’

ideas of beauty have shaped their own.



53

Reflecting Back

44%

44%

44%

ARG

31%80%30%47%50%65%49%61%55%67%18-64

46%81%42%50%62%71%44%52%72%64%15-17

36%80%33%48%54%67%47%58%61%66%15-64


46%

29%

40%

ARG

82%73%41%35%33%39%65%70%37%51%18-64

87%59%40%21%19%34%52%74%29%39%15-17

83%69%40%31%28%38%60%71%34%48%15-64


I wish that, as a young girl, I had seen girls and women in magazines that looked

more like me

I wish my mother had talked to me more often about my beauty and body image

when I was growing up

Top 2 box of 5 pt. scaleQ33./36. – I am going to read you another list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if

you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each. If

you don’t know or it doesn’t apply to you, just say so.


Importantly, almost three-quarters of mothers with daughters 17 and under globally hopethey have not passed on feelings of self-doubt or insecurity to their daughters.

– This is a concern shared similarly by mothers of 0-5 year olds and mothers of girls 12-17 – suggesting a belief among mothers that beauty socialization is

happening early in girls’ lives.

Reflecting Back Mothers with Daughters 17 and under

Agree (Top 2 box - Strongly/Somewhat Agree)

68%72% 73%72%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Mothers with

daughters 17 and

under

Mothers with

daughters 0-5

Mothers with

daughters 6-11

Mothers with

daughters 12-17

“I hope I have not passed on feelings of self-doubt or

insecurity to my daughter”

Top 2 box of 5 pt. scaleQ38. – I am going to read you another list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if you






54

WISHES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Regardless of the cultural differences noted in appearance satisfaction and self-esteem, or the role of the mother in influencing these feelings and beliefs, women globally expressed

a strong desire for constructive, early discourse about beauty – especially regarding bodyimage.

– Nine in ten women (15-64) globally think it is important to actively engage younggirls about having a realistic and healthy body image – with two-thirds strongly

agreeing. This sentiment was shared equally by women from the US to Saudi Arabia. Even Japanese women, who tended to be outliers on influencer and beauty

perceptions, believe active engagement is important – with almost eight in tenof these women agreeing.

Importantly, nine in ten girls (15-17) agree that this discourse about body

image needs to be active and start early – even though they are at an age wherematernal communication is less welcome. – Further, eight in ten women (15-64) globally report that there is a need to start

talking to girls earlier in their lives about what real beauty is.

This sentiment is shared across age groups and countries studied – with three-

quarters of young girls (15-17) agreeing. While Japanese women, and particularly the younger generation of girls (15-

17), are the least likely to agree with this idea compared to the other countriessurveyed, a significant two-thirds of these Japanese women agreed.



55

Since we know that the influence of girlfriends (peers) can be associated with lower

appearance satisfaction and self-esteem in girls, it is not surprising to find that themajority of women (15-64) globally believe that it is important for women to be more

supportive of other women’s beauty.

– This sentiment is shared across ages and regions – with eight in ten girls (15-17)agreeing.

– Japanese women (15-64), who live in a competitive appearance environment, had

the highest agreement with this belief – a full 97% agree. In comparison, onlyhalf of German women agree.

Looking Forward

94%

88%

92%

ARG

99%90%77%97%92%92%91%90%93%97%18-64

91%90%76%99%86%90%90%87%93%89%15-17

96%90%77%98%90%91%90%89%93%95%15-64


83%

83%

83%

ARG

80%82%72%70%79%78%84%83%84%95%18-64

84%82%46%62%66%84%76%78%84%87%15-17

82%82%66%67%75%80%81%82%84%93%15-64


81%

83%

82%

ARG

93%61%98%46%63%80%80%80%81%95%18-64

92%63%95%57%71%94%77%77%87%92%15-17

92%61%97%50%66%84%79%79%83%94%15-64


It is important to actively engage young girls about having a realistic and healthy

body image

There is a great need to start talking to girls earlier in their lives about what real

beauty is

It is important for women to be more supportive of other women’s beauty

Top 2 box of 5 pt. scaleQ34./35./37. - I am going to read you a list of statements now and I’d like you to tell me if you






56

The most important lesson that these women (15-64) globally hope young girls of the

future will learn is to “eat healthily rather than diet.”

– This lesson ranked highest among all age groups and across most regions globally. – In the US, where diversity plays a larger role, the lesson which ranked highest

was “knowing that beautiful women come in different colors, shapes and sizes” – which also ranked high for women of Canada and Great Britain – and wasfollowed by “eating healthily rather than dieting.”

– Japanese women, who tend to feel shame with self-absorption, had the highestmention of hoping young girls learn to “celebrate the things that make them

unique” and “see all aspects of their beauty, the same way they see beauty in

others.”

Wishes for Future Generations Total Women 15-64

19%

18%

35%

29%

31%

47%

ARG

25%41%22%32%28%28%31%38%21%23%Find their own personal

look and style

25%14%34%25%23%25%11%20%28%28%Celebrate the things that

make them unique

25%29%39%11%14%14%17%16%20%18%

See all aspects of their

beauty, the same way they

see beauty in others

17%45%18%31%38%32%41%32%27%25% Appreciate the bodies they

are in

17%21%28%33%19%48%23%28%41%53%

Know that beautiful women

come in different colors,

shapes and sizes

66%44%45%58%44%51%64%60%53%41%Eat healthily rather than

diet



Q32. – When you think about young girls growing up in the future, which TWO

of the following lessons, if any, do you hope these young girls learn about their

beauty and body image?


Encouragingly, these wishes and lessons embraced by women globally are about

socializing young girls differently around beauty beliefs and ideals, so fewer girls in the

future will personally feel the negative impact of beauty ideals on their self-esteem andthe manner in which they engage in daily life.



57

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Dr. Jennifer Scott

President, StrategyOne

(212)[email protected]

Heidi D’Agostino

Vice President, StrategyOne

(212)704-8295

Heidi.d’[email protected]

StrategyOne

A subsidiary of Edelman

1500 Broadway

New York, New York 10036



58

DISCOVERY – LITERATURE REVIEW APPENDIX/RESOURCES

RELEVANT JOURNALS, EXPERTS & ACADEMIC RESOURCES AND

PROGRAMS

Journals:

Adolescence

American Journal of Public Health

Behavioral & Brain Sciences

British Medical Journal

Contemporary Women’s Issues

Cultural Diversity and Mental Health

European Eating Disorders Review

Indian Journal of Gender Studies

International Journal of Eating Disorders

International Journal of Obesity

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Journal of Adolescent Health

Journal of Adolescent Research

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Journal of Pediatric Psychology

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

Journal of Social Psychology

Media Asia



59

New Zealand Medical Journal

Pediatrics

Psychological Bulletin

Psychology, Evolution and Gender

Psychology of Women Quarterly

Singapore Medical Journal

Sociological Inquiry

Major Studies:

American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Trends in PlasticSurgery for 2004

Avon Global Women Survey 2003

Cover Girl: A Most Beautiful Self Study 2001



60

Academic Resources/Programs:

Harvard Medical School

Nancy Etcoff, author of “Survival of the Prettiest,” is a professor at Harvard MedicalSchool. HMS has also played an important role in research performed on the topic of

beauty and self-esteem.

Harvard Medical School

25 Shattuck StreetBoston, MA 02115

(617) 432-1000www.hms.harvard.edu

King’s College (London, England)

The psychology department at King’s College (London) offers extensive courses and

resources for its students in the field of evolutionary psychology.

King’s College (London, England)

Institute of Psychiatry

De Crespigny Park London

SE5 8AF

+44(0)20 7836 5454www.iop.kcl.ac.uk

The Women’s Therapy Centre Institute

Psychotherapy, education, training and scholarship on crucial issues in women’s psychology, the mother-daughter relationship, and body related issues.

562 West End Avenue New York, New York 10024

1-212-721-7005http://www.wtci-nyc.org/

University of California-Santa Barbara

The University of California-Santa Barbara has a variety of course offerings in bothsocial and evolutionary psychology.

University of California-Santa Barbara

Department of Psychology

Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660(805) 893-2791

www.psych.ucsb.edu



61

University of Texas-Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is home to several leading figures in the field of

psychology as it relates to beauty and self-esteem. David M. Buss and Judith HallLanglois are two researchers whose works were useful in this study.

University of Texas-Austin

Department of Psychology

1 University Station A8000Austin, Texas 78712-0187

(512) 471-1167

www.psy.utexas.edu

University of Minnesota-Center for Adolescent Health and Development

The Center for Adolescent Health and Development provides interdisciplinary research,

training and clinical services collaborating with the disciplines of medicine, nursing,nutrition, psychology, public health and social work. The Center’s work particularlyfocuses on the health and development of adolescents at risk.

Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health

McNamara Alumni Center

University of Minnesota Gateway200 Oak St. S.E., Suite 260Minneapolis, MN 55455-2002

Phone: (612) 626-2820

Fax: (612) 626-2134

E-mail: [email protected]

allaboutkids.umn.edu/cfahad/index.htm

Melpomene Institute for Women’s Health

The Melpomene Institute is engaged in research and education as well as publication

regarding the link between physical activity and women’s health. Founded in 1982, it provides numerous resources aimed at motivating women to adopt a more physically

active lifestyle and inspire others to do so as well.

MELPOMENE INSTITUTE

3036 University Avenue SEMinneapolis, MN

55414-3342

Phone: 612-378-1572Fax: 612-378-1576

www.melpomene.org



62

Experts:

Carol Gilligan

Gilligan is one of the world’s leading psychologists in the area of female development.

Her groundbreaking book In a Different Voice ushered in a new era of thinking about the psychology of women as it relates to morality and ethics. It was spawned by her personalfrustration over the lack of attention given to gender differences in the area of human

development and the human condition. Gilligan was the first Patricia Albjerg GrahamChair in Gender Studies at Harvard University, where she co-founded the Harvard

Project on Women’s Psychology and Girls’ Development. Now affiliated with Columbia

University, Gilligan was named one of the 25 most influential Americans by TimeMagazine in 1996.

Dr. Leann Birch

Dr. Birch is a pioneer in the study of eating disorders in young children. She is aDistinguished Professor of Health and Human Studies at Pennsylvania State University.A good deal of Dr. Birch’s work focuses on how children acquire food preferences anddevelop the ability to control the amount of food they consume during the first years of

their lives. Her findings have influenced the developments in the field of nutritional

education as well as the counseling techniques used by pediatricians, dietitians and

parents in regards to eating patterns in young children.

Dr. Mary Pipher

Pipher is the author of the acclaimed Reviving Ophelia, which explores what she terms

today’s “girl-poisoning culture.” According to Pipher, today’s young women are drivento harmful behaviors and a loss of identity because of society’s obsession with

consumerism and media images that portray unrealistic images of beauty. She is a psychotherapist for adolescent females and has authored many additional titles on the

intersection of American culture and mental health.

Dr. Ira Sacker

Dr. Sacker is one of the world’s foremost experts on eating disorders and has been

treating patients with disordered eating for over 30 years. Currently, he directs the

Adolescent Medicine Program at the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. According to Dr. Sacker, eating disorders are not about food, but

about the individual’s inability to see his/herself. He believes a lack of self-esteem is atthe core of most eating disorders, and parents can play a positive role in combating

negative body image by shifting a child’s attention away from their body image toward

something they enjoy. Dr. Sacker is also the author of Dying to be Thin, a national bestseller.



Joan Jacobs Brumberg

Bromberg’s 2005 publication, “The Body Project,” has incited much debate over today’s

uniquely strong pressures on young women to conform to an unrealistic physical ideal.According to Bromberg, women today are subject to an increasingly powerful mass

media that increases expectations of physical perfection, forcing large numbers of womeninto defining themselves through their bodies alone. Bromberg has taught history, humandevelopment and gender studies at Cornell University since 1979 and is also the author of

the award-winning Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa.

Dr. Susie Orbach

Dr. Susie Orbach, who serves as an expert consultant on the Dove study, is a leading

psychotherapist specializing in women’s issues and eating. She revolutionized the waywomen think about their bodies in the 1970s with publication of her book Fat is a

Feminist Issue (1978). She lectures extensively in Europe and North America and is a

visiting professor at the London School of Economics. Orbach is a widely publishedwriter, and in addition to numerous contributions to newspapers and magazines, she hasauthored a number of scholarly works including: Fat is a Feminist Issue II (1982), What's

Really Going on Here (1993) and Susie Orbach on Eating (2001). With Luise

Eichenbaum she has written Understanding Women: A Feminist Psychoanalytic Account

(Penguin, 1982), and “Feminine Subjectivity, Countertransference and the Mother

Daughter Relationship,” Mothers & Daughters Revisited, ed. Luise Eichenbaum, J. vanMerls-Verhulst, Routledge (1993).

Dr. Ava Siegler

Dr. Siegler is the director of the Institute of Child, Adolescent and Family Studies in NewYork City. She is a child psychologist who uses a developmentally based approach and

advocates the four C’s for approaching communication with teenage children:compassion, communication, comprehension and competence. She has appeared on

Oprah, writes a weekly column for Child magazine and is a contributor to MSN.com. She

has also authored several books, including The Essential Guide to the New Adolescence: How to Raise an Emotionally Healthy Teenager .

Dr. Allan S. Kaplan

Dr. Kaplan is a leading researcher in the field of eating disorders and was named the firstEating Disorders Chair at Toronto Hospital in 2002. Dr. Kaplan has conducted important

research during his time at Toronto General Hospital, including work on possible geneticfactors of these illnesses; the biological underpinnings which may contribute to disturbed

dove beyond stereotypes white paper

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