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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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
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-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.
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– 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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,
don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
Q16. - Thinking about who you are today, which, if any, of the following aspects of yourself
would you most like to change?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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
13%18%41%19%13%12%11%5%25%10% Appearance of face
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused
-Ranked on total women15-64
Q16. - Thinking about who you are today, which, if any, of the following aspects of yourself
would you most like to change?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
9%13%21%6%2%9%18%11%20%8% Appearance of face
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
-Excludes none of these,
don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
Q16. - Thinking about who you are today, which, if any, of the following aspects of yourself
would you most like to change?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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.
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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
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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.
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
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.
“When I feel bad about myself it usually has to do with my
looks or weight”
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
-Ranked on total women15-64
*
**
*
*Global total does not include Argentina
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– 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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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… ?
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused
-Ranked on total women15-64
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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.
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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
following words would you use to describe yourself? Would you say you are… ?
**
*
*
*
*
*
*Global total does not include Argentina
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.
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
Q8. - When your self-esteem is low and you feel badly about yourself, which TWO of the
following words would you use to describe yourself? Would you say you are… ?
-Excludes none of these,
don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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.
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– 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.
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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.
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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.
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
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
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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Activities Personally Engaged InGirls 15-17
0%
14%
41%
82%
ARG
1%1%4%0%1%1%1%2%1%3%
Having cosmetic surgery or
procedures, like a nose job,
breast implants or wrinkle
injections
9%0%8%12%34%14%22%9%17%9%
Behaviors like compulsive
eating and throwing up, or
refusing to eat
19%17%51%42%29%41%42%40%27%26%Dieting
49%41%94%85%59%87%69%74%83%78%
Beauty practices like
wearing makeup,
manicuring nails or
straightening of hair
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,
don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
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
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
Activities Personally Engaged In Women 18-64
5%
13%
59%
75%
ARG
0%1%0%2%2%2%6%4%4%5%
Having cosmetic surgery or
procedures, like a nose job,
breast implants or wrinkle
injections
8%1%5%8%15%8%17%12%9%11%
Behaviors like compulsive
eating and throwing up, or
refusing to eat
28%20%54%49%44%59%53%41%61%53%Dieting
29%78%89%84%69%77%65%64%72%70%
Beauty practices like
wearing makeup,
manicuring nails or
straightening of hair
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused
-Ranked on total women15-64
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
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
“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
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused
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.
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
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.
-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
*
*
*
*
*Global total does not include Argentina
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes never felt badly, none of these,
don’t know and refused-Ranked on total 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.
*”Go on a date” not asked in Saudi Arabia
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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.
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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
*
*
*
*
*
*Global total does not include Argentina
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.
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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…?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused
-Ranked on total women15-64
Q15A. - Which TWO, if any, of the following things do you believe would make you feel better about yourself? Would you say being…?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
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…?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-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…?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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.
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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
eating and throwing up, or
refusing to eat
14151313141312141313Beauty practices like wearing
makeup, manicuring nails or straightening of hair
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-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…?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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…?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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.
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,
don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
Q17. - Which TWO of the following people or things had the earliest influence on your
feelings about your own beauty and body image?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused
-Ranked on total women15-64
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?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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
Overall physical appearance Facial appearance Body weight and shape Self-esteem
Mean scores for satisfaction/self-esteem, Q6, 9-11. – segmented by earliest
influence Q17.
Earliest influencers
Influencer Impact on Satisfaction for:
M e a n s a t i s f a c t i o n
-Ranked on overall physicalappearance
*Global total does not include Argentina
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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
Overall physical appearance Facial appearance Body weight and shape Self-esteem
Mean scores for satisfaction/self-esteem, Q6, 9-11. – segmented by most
powerful influence Q18.
Most powerful influencers
Influencer Impact on Satisfaction for:
M e a n s a t i s f a c t i o n
-Ranked on overall physical
appearance
*Global total does not include Argentina
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.
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– 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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
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.
Agree (Top 2 Box – Strongly/Somewhat Agree)
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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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.
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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.
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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
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.
*Global total does not include Argentina
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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.
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
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
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
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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
SAUCHNJPNDEUITAGBRBRAMEXCANUSA
-Excludes none of these,don’t know and refused-Ranked on total women15-64
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?
-All countries fielded in September 2005, with the exception of Argentina which fielded in January 2006
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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