Newly released research conducted at Chapman University involving 12,176 American men and women, directly links body image to people feeling satisfied with their lives.
The study revealed that few men and women were very to extremely dissatisfied with their physical appearances (6%; 9%), but feeling very to extremely dissatisfied with weight was more common (15%; 20%). Only about one-fourth of men and women felt very to extremely satisfied with their appearances (28%; 26%) and weights (24%; 20%). Men and women with higher body masses reported higher appearance and weight dissatisfaction.
The study also indicates that people that had higher Neuroticism and were more preoccupied and fearful of losing their relationships, and people that watched more television, were more dissatisfied. In contrast, those with higher self-esteem, more open, contentious, and extraverted were more satisfied with their relationships and life.
Dr. David Frederick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of psychology at Chapman University and lead author on the study said, “Few men (24 percent) and women (20 percent) felt very or extremely satisfied with their weight, and only half felt somewhat to extremely satisfied. These findings are consistent with the emphasis placed on the importance of being slender for women and for appearing athletic and/or lean for men. It would seem therefore, that we still have a long way to go before we achieve the goal of Americans being truly happy with their bodies.”
Ref: Science Direct
