GENDER DIFFERENCES IN BODY SATISFACTION

Although men and women show similar rates of obesity, women more frequ ently engage in weight loss efforts, with potentially adverse health c onsequences, We surveyed 320 college-aged men and women to examine gen der differences in the determinants of body dissatisfaction and the de gree of importance assigned to bodyweight and shape. Results indicated that, for both genders, satisfaction with bodyweight and shape decrea sed as body mass index (BMI) increased. Women, however, showed signifi cantly greater body and weight dissatisfaction than men at most weight categories, Only the underweight (BMI<20) women and men were similarl y satisfied with their bodyweight and shape, As BMI increased, however , women became disproportionately more dissatisfied: both normal-weigh t and overweight women expressed greater dissatisfaction than comparab le men, College-aged women also attributed progressively more importan ce to both weight and shape as BMI increased, unlike college-aged men, who considered body weight equally important to (or slightly less imp ortant than) self-esteem as BMI increased. We discuss implications for the self-esteem of obese women and men.