The Detrimental Dialogue Between Indian Women, Beauty Discourse, Patriarchy and Indian Feminism

2021 ◽  
pp. 2277436X2110440
Author(s):  
Lydia VK Pandian
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Skin Tone ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Cultural Ideals ◽  
Western Concept ◽  
Concept Of Beauty

This framework article analyses the established connection of body image and skin tone to the ideology of power and status and the need for Indian women to achieve those beauty standards to be celebrated in their field. Even though women have gained more power, they are still defined by and in the context of men in India. Men have subtly and constructively translated this power discourse over women that has been stretching across centuries through the channels of art, literature and the portrayal of the goddesses. This pressure to continually conform to beauty’s cultural ideals and sculpt oneself to those unattainable standards leads to body dissatisfaction. It affects the image the woman has of herself. The patriarchal structure that dominates the Indian women habitus has translated the ideology of this Western concept of beauty into a ‘common sense’ that has compelled women to impose a ‘self-hegemonic’ stance and the role of Indian feminism in fighting this emerging oppressive structure.

The role of body image in appearance-related cosmetic procedures

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 318-320
Author(s):  
Abigail Woodley
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Patient Expectations ◽  
Motivating Factors

The popularity of cosmetic procedures appears to be on the rise. While this may be the outcome of many factors, including the increasing availability, accessibility and affordability of such procedures, the important and influential role of body image and levels of body dissatisfaction as potentially motivating factors requires attention. This article will discuss the role of body image in appearance-related cosmetic procedures and its implications for patient expectations and outcomes among women.

scholarly journals Can Parental Body Dissatisfaction Predict That of Children? A Study on Body Dissatisfaction, Body Mass Index, and Desire to Diet in Children Aged 9–11 and Their Families

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Solano-Pinto ◽  
Yolanda Sevilla-Vera ◽  
Raquel Fernández-Cézar ◽  
Dunia Garrido
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Drive For Muscularity ◽  
Healthy Habits

Body image has been associated with self-care and the assumption of either healthy habits or poor diets and eating disorders. As a vital element in the formation of a positive body image, the role of the family in childhood has been highlighted by a few studies. This study aimed to assess whether children’s body dissatisfaction could be predicted by their parents’ body dissatisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and approach to change. The sample consisted of 581 participants (366 parents and 215 children). The following instruments were used: anthropometric data, the Brief Scale of Body Dissatisfaction for Children, the IMAGE questionnaire (approach to change and drive for muscularity subscales), and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness subscales). The results indicated that 19% of children, 22.8% of mothers, and 70.2% of fathers were overweight or obese. The multiple regression models developed for boys and girls explained 60 and 57% of the variance in body dissatisfaction, respectively. Several variables attributable to the mother (higher approach to change, higher drive for thinness, and higher BMI) and to the boys themselves (drive for muscularity, approach to change, and having a high BMI percentile) predicted a higher level of body dissatisfaction. For girls, only variables regarding themselves (approach to change, age, and BMI percentile) explained their body dissatisfaction. Relationships with the traits of the father were not detected for both models. The influence of sociocultural factors on the construction of gender and the negative consequences of mothers’ dieting for aesthetic purposes, on the development of children’s body image, are discussed.

scholarly journals ‘Weighty woes’: Impact of fat talk and social influences on body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402199281
Author(s):  
Kanika K Ahuja ◽  
Ananya Khandelwal ◽  
Debanjan Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Body Satisfaction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Fat Talk ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Societal Influences

Background: Psychosocial offshoots of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have extended to body dissatisfaction, especially among women. Factors such as increased social media exposure, weight gain memes, and peer conversations about appearance during lockdown might be the potential contributing factors, which need further exploration. The study examined the contribution of ‘fat talk’ and societal influences in determining body dissatisfaction among Indian women. The likely content of the ‘fat talk’ during the lockdown was also analyzed. Methods: The study followed a cross-sectional online based design. Participants comprised of 265 women, aged 15 to 50 years. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-8c), Sociocultural Attitudes toward Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3), and Negative Body Talk Scale were used to measure body satisfaction, societal influences, and fat talk respectively. Further, participants were asked to respond to a friend’s comment about her supposed weight gain in the pandemic (fat talk). Results: Fat talk, social influence, weight, and age were significantly correlated with body dissatisfaction. Multiple Regression models indicated that fat talk, social influence, weight, and age accounted for 53.33% of the variance in body satisfaction. Thematic analysis of responses to fat-talk conversations revealed two dominant themes: focus on exercise and diet, as well as acknowledging weight gain and normalizing it in the context of the pandemic. Conclusion: Fat talk amongst peers, societal influence and body-image stereotypes were the most potent contributors in determining body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic, which can contribute to significant dysfunction. These factors need addressal in the socio-cultural context through health campaigns, interpersonal strategies, and more positive and constructive forms of weight and body image-related communication.

scholarly journals Instagram selfie-posting and young women’s body dissatisfaction: Investigating the role of self-esteem and need for popularity

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihee Kim
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Moderated Mediation Model ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The Relationship

An online survey was conducted to explore how Instagram users’ selfie-posting behavior affects their self-esteem and body dissatisfaction. Female college students from South Korea (N = 321) participated in the survey. Results showed that Instagram users’ selfie-posting was positively related to their self-esteem. Moreover, Instagram users’ self-esteem mediated the relationship between their selfie-posting behavior and body dissatisfaction. Findings showed that Instagram users’ selfie-posting behavior may positively influence their self-esteem, which may consequently contribute to reducing their body dissatisfaction. Such an indirect effect of selfie-posting was moderated by Instagram users’ levels of the need for popularity. The indirect influence of selfie-posting on body dissatisfaction through self-esteem was only significant among those with low or moderate levels of the need for popularity. This suggests that those with lower levels of the need for popularity can benefit more from posting their selfies. These findings advance the emerging literature on the effects of selfie-posting by providing a moderated mediation model of selfie-posting and body image concerns.

scholarly journals Understanding the Role of Self-Judgment in the Association between Body Dissatisfaction and Quality of Life on Normal-Weight and Overweight Portuguese Women

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Ferreira ◽  
Patrícia Fortunato ◽  
Joana Marta-Simões ◽  
Inês A. Trindade
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Psychological Quality Of Life

AbstractLiterature has demonstrated the negative impact of body image dissatisfaction on women’s quality of life. Nonetheless, it has been suggested that the relationship between body dissatisfaction and women’s well-being is not linear, and that the processes that mediate this association remain unclear. This study aims to clarify the mediator role of self-judgment in the association between negative body image and psychological quality of life, in two groups: normal-weight and overweight women. This cross-sectional study comprised 200 normal-weight and 92 overweight female college students, aged between 18 and 24 years old, that completed self-report instruments of body dissatisfaction, self-judgment, and quality of life. Results showed that women who presented harsher self-judgment about their perceived failures tended to present lower levels in all quality of life domains. Also, results from mediation analyses indicated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychological quality of life was significantly mediated by the mechanisms of self-judgment in the two BMI groups (95% CI [–2.41 to –0.04]; 95% CI [–6.35 to –.89]). This mediational model accounted for 28.3% and 40.7% of psychological quality of life in the normal-weight and overweight groups, respectively. These results suggest that a lower ability to deal with one’s failures or inadequacies (e.g., negative evaluation of body image) in a kind and accepting manner may significantly increase the negative impact of body dissatisfaction on one’s psychological quality of life. In this way, it seems that, the focus of interventions should go beyond body dissatisfaction and also target the development of adaptive attitudes (opposed to self-critical attitudes) to deal with negative body-related experiences.

Body-Image Stereotypes and Body-Type Preferences among Male College Students

1968 ◽  
Vol 27 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1143-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Dibiase ◽  
Larry A. Hjelle
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Male College ◽  
Male College Students

The interrelationships among body-image stereotypes, body type preferences, and body weight were examined. Three male silhouettes, depicting extreme endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy, were rated by 17 overweight, 17 underweight, and 17 normal weight male college Ss on 21 bipolar traits of temperament. The mesomorph was perceived by all Ss as more active, energetic, and dominant, whereas the endomorph and ectomorph were both rated as more withdrawn, shy, and dependent. No relationship was found between body-image stereotypes and Ss' body weight, although all Ss expressed a preference to look like the mesomorph silhouette. It was suggested that cultural influences and the role of body dissatisfaction may serve as crucial mediators in accounting for the results.

scholarly journals The Role of Physical Activity on Parental Rejection and Body Image Perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2176
Author(s):  
Celia K. Naivar Sen ◽  
Duygu Gurleyik ◽  
Elia Psouni
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Parental Rejection ◽  
Image Perception ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Body Image Perception

The present study investigated the potential moderating role of physical activity on the relationship between parental rejection and poor body image perceptions. Late adolescents and young adults from Turkey (N = 373; 256 females/117 males) reported their memories of upbringing (Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran/EMBU) related to both their mother and father, respectively, levels of physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaires/IPAQ), and body image perception (Body Cathexis Scale/body dissatisfaction and Social Physique Anxiety Scale/SPAS). EMBU mother and father rejection scores were combined and dichotomized, placing participants into high and low rejection groups. Multiple analysis of covariance, controlling for gender and body mass index, showed that high parental rejection was associated with poorer overall body image perception (η2 = 0.09; η2 Body Dissatisfaction = 0.09; η2 SPAS = 0.04), whereas higher physical activity was linked to better body image perception η2 = 0.02; η2 Body Dissatisfaction = 0.04; η2 SPAS = 0.03). While level of physical activity did not mediate the negative relationship between parental rejection on body image perceptions, very physically active individuals recalling high parental rejection displayed body image perceptions similar to participants with low parental rejection. Thus, although higher parental rejection is related to poorer body image perception, interventions targeting regular physical activity may help buffer against these negative effects.

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