Cultural expectations of thinness in women: An update

TLDR

Earlier research showed that body measurements of Playboy centerfolds and Miss America contestants had decreased between 1959 and 1978. The study examined American media portrayals of the ideal female body and tabulated diet‑ and exercise‑related articles in women’s magazines from 1959 to 1988. Body measurements of Playboy centerfolds and Miss America contestants were 13–19% below expected weight, and Miss America contestants’ weight decreased from 1979 to 1988, coinciding with a significant rise in diet and exercise articles, indicating that thinness is increasingly valued and pursued through dieting and exercise.

Abstract

An investigation of current American society's depiction of the ideal female body was performed. Body measurements of Playboy magazine centerfolds and Miss America contestants for 1979–1988 indicated body weight 13–19% below expected weight for women in that age group. Miss America contestants showed a significant decrease in expected weight between 1979 and 1988. Comparisons were made with an earlier study which had demonstrated that body measurements of both groups had decreased during the period 1959–1978. Diet-for-weight-loss and exercise articles in six women's magazines were tabulated for 1959–1988. A significant increase in both diet articles and exercise articles occurred during this period. These findings suggest that the overvaluation of thinness continues and thinness is now sought through both dieting and exercise.