Body Image And Self Esteem

Without a doubt, at some point in their lives, males and females experience disturbances in body image that can arise from self-esteem issues. By looking at what influences body image disturbances in adults, it would be easier to understand where the manifestation begins. Adults question their body image, self-esteem and overall worth due to cultural and societal influences such as, media images that show the “ideals” of society. With most studies focusing on adolescents and this phenomenon, these two studies consider the adult population and how both males and females exhibit different psychological responses to body image and self-esteem. Researchers Baker and Gringart examined the concept of body image and self-esteem of an older Australian

Age was used as a predictor variable. The participants included 150 males and 239 females who all completed the questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2). Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) using a 11-point response scale (0-10). High scores indicated a higher level of self-esteem. Body importance and dissatisfaction was measured using the Body Importance Scale and the Body Image Dissatisfaction Scale. Both scales used a 5-point score card ranging from 0 to 4. Satisfaction was measured using the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) with points ranging from 0-10

The only satisfaction domain which changed among female participants among T1 and T2 was satisfaction with achievement. Furthermore, men scored higher on body image importance, but despite the gender difference, one third of men and one-half of women in T1 and T2 had a score closer to the dissatisfied end of the spectrum. In regards to age and gender, body dissatisfaction was higher in women than men, seen in younger participants, and those with a high BMI. Physical appearance was more critical in men and those who were younger. The results show a decline in appearance dissatisfaction and an increase in body importance across the adult lifespan. Men and women both had higher scores of self-esteem and body dissatisfaction at T2 than during T1. Self-esteem for female participants was heavily influenced by BMI. The researchers’ hypothesis of: body dissatisfaction at T1 would predict self-esteem 2 years later, was not supported by their findings. It did predict changes for women aged less than 31 but not for other participants above this age.

Therefore, in older populations, self-esteem can play a role in how women feel about their appearance. Appearance concerns are becoming a norm for both genders. Men placed more concern on their appearance which goes against previously reported findings in other studies.