Ever changing body ideals: Current ideal body size amongst men and women

Ideal body size has changed over time. Blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe was idolised in the 1950’s, whereas the 1990’s saw the idolisation of heroin chic. There has been a resurgence in curvaceous bodies in recent years, with the Brazilian butt becoming increasing desired among women. It is easily apparent that the media has played a significant role in defining current body ideals and that the sheer existence of an ideal body size promotes body dissatisfaction amongst women of all ages. However, does the way in which we assess ideal body size in psychological science also encourage people to report an ideal that is smaller than their true body size? The aim of this project is to better understand current ideal body size amongst both men and women, with the aim of developing better tools to assess ideal body size.