Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Health-Related Behaviors Among Male and Female First Year College Students

Journal of College Student Development, Nov/Dec 2005 by Lowery, Sarah E, Kurpius, Sharon E Robinson, Befort, Christie, Blanks, Elva Hull, Et al

DISCUSSION

As Thompson (1990) noted, body image dissatisfaction is a normative discontent within Western society, particularly among college women. And, as recently as 2001, researchers called for investigations of the interaction of physical exercise and body image. In response to these concerns, this study explored the relationships among body image, self-esteem, and the health-related behaviors of first year college students.

As predicted and consistent with several studies (Cash & Henry, 1995; Demarest & Alien, 2000; Garner, 1997; Wade & Cooper, 1998), men exhibited more positive body images than did women. Sex differences in acceptable body size may be influenced by societal definitions of appropriate and attractive shapes for men and for women (Wright & Whitehead, 1987). There has been criticism of Western society for its emphasis on a slender female physique and negative stereotyping of obese figures (Lake, Staiger, & Glowinski, 2000). Tiggemann and Rothblum (1998) have suggested that the prominence given to weight and physique has resulted in mass dissatisfaction with body shape in the female population. Constant exposure to unrealistic "ideal" images through television, music videos, movies, and magazines seems to add to women's struggle to be perfect and their dissatisfaction with current bodies. As society moves toward the inclusion and objectification of men in the realm of media, there may also be a movement toward more dissatisfaction and body image disturbance in men (Cash, Winstead, & Janda, 1986). Indeed, the negative relationship between self-esteem and body shame for men in this study and reported by Thompson and Altabe (1991) provides support for this change.

The body image measures significantly correlated with self-esteem for women. For women, lower self-esteem scores were mirrored by reports of watching their bodies as an onlooker (body surveillance), having greater discrepancy between their current and ideal body figures, having greater overall physical dissatisfaction, and feeling bad because of their bodies (body shame). These results support Stowers and Durm's (1996) findings that physical self-worth is significantly related to overall self-esteem. Interestingly, the body control variable was not related to self-esteem. These young women viewed body control as positive and believed that if they controlled their weight and appearance, this was a good thing. They did not, however, link body control with their feelings of self-worth.

In contrast, only one aspect of the body image was significantly correlated with self-esteem for men. Feeling body shame, reflected in questions such as, "I would be ashamed for people to know what I really weigh," was significantly related to self-esteem. The more their body shame, the lower dieir self-esteem. Four components of body image were not related to self-esteem. It appears that for the men in this study, self-esteem is not as intertwined with their body image as it is for women. These men were generally satisfied with their physical appearance, having very little discrepancy between their real and ideal bodies. This finding is similar to that of Demarest and Alien's (2000) who reported that men are generally satisfied with their own shapes. Unlike the women, the men in this study were not particularly concerned about how others viewed their bodies. One aspect of body image became important only when fitness behaviors were examined.