scholarly journals Peer-reviewed Images: Image Consuming Selves as Visual CommoditiesNotes: All images used in this article are either part of the author's own archive or have been photographed by him, or he has been commissioned to do so. This article was initially prepared for presenting in a conference titled: ‘Creative Industries in Asia: Innovating within Constraints’, Bangkok University, 12 July 2016. The revised and advanced draft of this article was presented in ‘Visual South Asia Conference’, Department of Anthropology, University of Dhaka, 10-11 May 2017. This essay is a part of the larger book project titled “Flirting with Images and Commodities” that maps our ephemeral encounters with the contemporary visual and material conditions.

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-125
Author(s):  
Sreedeep Bhattacharya

The article addresses how popular imageries of ideal body types and their circulation inspires the construction of similar body ideals to be achieved through body work, body care and body control. While demonstrating a composite relationship between the ‘image’ and the ‘body’, it renders the interdependency and inseparability of these two entities, capturing the dual process of consuming images of the ideal body and transforming body into images for consumption. The article also advances a theoretical model of image–body unification in contemporary India. Citing a wide range of visual representations of the body/image, the article illustrates how the imageries of the ideal body type are often negotiated through body work, and how the worked-out body is then converted to similar body-image for circulation, thereby creating replicas of predominant ideal types and inspiring the production of bodies and images that are identical to that type. The article situates such practices of image production, circulation and emulation within the larger context of greater levels of tolerance, acceptance and dissemination of the eroticised body. It is argued that the acceptance of the eroticised body as lifestyle choice is an integral part of a larger global visual trend. The erosion of the stigma against representation of the body as a legitimate site of pleasure determines our temporal identities by inviting us to participate in the articulation of the desiring self through image-conscious bodies and through images that make the body more desirable.

2020 ◽  
pp. 79-112
Author(s):  
Sreedeep Bhattacharya

This chapter concerns itself with the body and the circulation of its image in the consumerist landscape of contemporary India. It argues how the body is constantly under the influence of the ideal body type, which inspires consumers to reconfigure their bodies to emulate the ideal body type. This requires sufficient attention, visibility, disciplining, and display. It also explains how this emulative process reproduces similar body types through work on and care of the body, thus transforming bodies into images for visual consumption. It advances a conceptual model of image–body inseparability and situates such emulative practices within the larger context of erosion of the stigma against the eroticized body in recent times across various platforms of contemporary visual and popular media. The author argues that such stigma has significantly diminished.


Author(s):  
Thomas Fuchs

AbstractAnorexia nervosa is often regarded primarily as a disorder of the body image, with affected individuals submitting themselves to the dictate of a predominant model of slenderness. However, even though this frequently functions as a gateway to the disorder, the paper intends to show that the actual conflict in anorexia consists in a fundamental alienation of the self from the body. In order to analyze this alienation from a phenomenological point of view, the paper introduces the polarity of lived body (body-as-subject) and physical body (body-as-object). It then explores the phenomenology of anorexia, drawing on characteristic self-reports as well as on the phenomenological, psychoanalytic and cultural science literature. The anorexic conflict of embodiment arises in adolescence, where the body becomes an object of the other’s gaze in a special way. Starting with an attempt to comply with the ideal body image, the anorexic patient increasingly fights against her dependency on her body and its uncontrollable nature, above all its hunger and femininity. To be in total control of her body and to gain independence from it, becomes the source of a narcissistic triumph. Thus, in striving for autonomy and perfection, the anorexic patient alienates herself from her embodiment. This results in a radical dualism of ‘mind’ and ‘body’: pursuing the ideal of an asexual, angelic, even disappearing body. Anorexia is thus conceived as a fundamental conflict of embodiment.


2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary B Duda ◽  
Naana Afua Jumah ◽  
Allan G Hill ◽  
Joseph Seffah ◽  
Richard Biritwum

The hypothesis tested in this study was that the 'traditional build' is the culturally valued body shape by Ghanaian women. Culturally sensitive figural stimuli were designed to assess the current body image (CBI) and the ideal body image (IBI) of Ghanaian women. The most frequently selected model for the CBI was one that represented a slightly overweight woman; the IBI selected was consistent with a representation of normal body mass index; and the least healthy image was that figure that represented morbidly obesity.


1974 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 499-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. I. Douty ◽  
J. B. Moore ◽  
D. Hartford

A comprehensive inquiry was made into psycho-physical and self-perception phenomena through innovative methods. Graphic somatometry and judges' ratings provided data on body characteristics, a scaled Personal Inventory derived data on self-perceptions, and the Bell Adjustment Inventory measured personal characteristics. Correlation coefficients, chi-square tests, and z-score patterns were used to analyze data from 91 Ss. A few relations between body characteristics and adjustment were found and some relations between posture and adjustment, but body type showed no significant relations for the group although relations were clear in individual cases. There was definite dissatisfaction with the body, with personal impressions of figure being influenced by impressions of posture, and this dissatisfaction was related to two adjustment variables, namely, home adjustment and health adjustment. The pattern of z scores for figure and posture characteristics and adjustment, of the high-figure-impression group differed from that of the low group. A major conclusion was that intervening variables of body-image and self-perception must be examined if the relationship between body and personality is to be clarified.


Author(s):  
Shofwatul 'Uyun ◽  
Toni Efendi

Classification of human weight can be determined by body mass index. The body mass index can be calculated by dividing the height by the square of the body weight. According to researchers, this is less practical, so it needs to make a tool that can be used to determine ideal body weight more practically. One way is to use an Android smartphone camera. The camera is used to capture the image of the human body. Then the image is processed by using digital image processing and by using certain algorithms, so it may conclude the person's ideal weight category. The data used in this study are human photos, body weight and height. There are four stages to determine the weight and height based on the image. First, performing an analysis of the calculation of the derived formulas. Second, analyzing the edge detection algorithm. Third, conducting unit convertion, and fourth, proposing several algorithms to calculate the height and weight used to determine the ideal body weight. The results of the evaluation show that Algorithm C (measuring the width of an object starting with the height of the image adjusting half of the height of the object in the image) is the best algorithm with deviation value of 1.85% of the height and 8.87% of the weight, while the system accuracy rate in determining the ideal body weight has reached 78.7%. 


Author(s):  
Amrit Virk ◽  
Parmal Singh

Background: Body image refers to how individuals think, feel and behave in relation to their body and appearance. During adolescence self-perception about their appearance is important to the development of self-esteem and is also understood to be an important predictor of self-worth. Research has shown that inappropriate perception of the body image and dissatisfaction can lead to physical and psychic problems in the youth. In today's society, with the growing sense of ideal body image, adolescents and young adults try to lose or gain body weight to attain perfect body. The objective of the study is to find out the proportion of students dissatisfied with their body image, and the association of various determinants with body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among 125 first year medical students located in rural Haryana. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on various determinants associated with body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem.Results: Body image dissatisfaction was present among 16.8% of the students. Low self-esteem was observed among 21.6% of the students. Low body mass index (<18.5) was found to be significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction. A moderately positive correlation (r=0.384, p<0.001) was observed between self-esteem and body image satisfaction.Conclusions: Study findings support the fact that body image dissatisfaction has its impact on self-esteem among college-going youth. It is imperative that effective interventions be planned to educate the youth on ideal body weight and protect this young generation from pressures and consequences of negative body image.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0247651
Author(s):  
Nicole Doria ◽  
Matthew Numer

Eating disorders among adolescent girls are a public health concern. Adolescent girls that participate in aesthetic sport, such as dance, are of particular concern as they experience the highest rates of clinical eating disorders. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of young girls in the world of competitive dance and examine how these experiences shape their relationship with the body; feminist poststructural discourse analysis was employed to critically explore this relationship. Interviews were conducted across Canada with twelve young girls in competitive dance (14–18 years of age) to better understand how the dominant discourses in the world of competitive dance constitute the beliefs, values and practices about body and body image. Environment, parents, coaches, and peers emerged as the largest influencers in shaping the young dancers’ relationship with their body. These influencers were found to generate and perpetuate body image discourses that reinforce the ideal dancer’s body and negative body image.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ileana Schmalbach ◽  
Bjarne Schmalbach ◽  
Markus Zenger ◽  
Hendrik Berth ◽  
Cornelia Albani ◽  
...  

The Body Image Questionnaire-20 (FKB-20) is one of the most applied self-report measures in the context of body image assessment in German-speaking regions. A version of the FKB-20 capturing an ideal concept of body image is also available. A special property of the scale is its high sensitivity for individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa. The present research provided a short version of this scale (for both variants) and examined its validity in a representative sample (N = 2,347) of the German population. We utilized factor analysis methods to identify the optimal short scale of the measure, finding excellent model fit and reliability for a two-factor model (FKB-6) for both real and ideal body image. Both versions of the FKB-6 can be considered invariant across sex and age groups. Good reliability indices were shown for both versions of the FKB-6. The reliability indices were similar to those mentioned in previous studies. Our study also revealed, that large discrepancies between the real and an ideal body image are correlated with somatic and body dysmorphic symptoms. Finally, we provided norm values for comparisons of individual scores with the general population. The FKB-6 is a valid and a reliable measure that economizes assessments by clinicians and researchers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Guszkowska ◽  
Tomasz Maziarczyk

AbstractPurpose. The purpose of this study was to determine body image and body satisfaction in Polish adult men involved in resistance training and to investigate their relationships with objective anthropometric and training characteristics. Methods. The study included 176 males aged 18-31 years with 1-14 years resistance training experience. The Figure Rating Scale, Body Satisfaction Scale and a self-designed questionnaire were administered. Results. Approximately 62% of the participants would like to be more muscular, only 29% accepted their appearance and 9% would like to be less muscular. The body selected as the personal ideal (M = 5.34) was less muscular than the body considered by the participants to be ideal by other men (normative body; M = 6.07) and was more muscular than the body thought to be most attractive to women (M = 5.10). Actual and ideal body muscularity correlated positively with age and body mass, height and BMI. Dissatisfaction with trunk and motor characteristics correlated positively with ideal body and the body considered most attractive to women as well as with the discrepancy indices between the above factors and the actual body. Conclusions. Men regularly involved in resistance training were found to strive for a muscular physique. The normative body, the physique believed to be desired by other men, was more muscular than what was considered preferential to women. However, the latter constitutes a stronger determinant of the level of body satisfaction in men engaged in resistance training.


2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-130
Author(s):  
PJJ Botha

An introduction to aspects of the erotic and sexuality in Greco-Roman antiquity requires some understanding of how people saw their bodies. What is considered  erotic is related to the “ideal” body: sexuality manifests itself as culturally and historically determined. In this article relevant parts of the Greco-Roman cosmology is briefly discussed and concepts of the body analysed before an overview of love relations between women and men is presented. In the final section the shift in views about the body among the early Christians, is specified.


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