BODY-SIZE AND SHAPE CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONAL (IN SEARCH OF) ADS

This study investigated sociocultural norms for height, weight, and bo dy shape by analyzing 481 personal ads in a large metropolitan city ma gazine to determine self-report characteristics of males and females s eeking companionship as well as the desired height, weight, and shape characteristics of the person being sought. Seventy percent of ads spe cified weight, shape, or height characteristics and of those ads most were heterosexual Caucasian males and females. Male searchers describe d themselves as tall, fit, and athletic, but of average weight. Female searchers described themselves as petite or tall and fit with body we ight as significantly less (89.4%) than the ideal body weight. Male se archers sought females 5 years younger, thin, fit, petite or tall. Wom en seekers sought men 3 years older, tall, fit, and athletic. These ad s confirmed the use of stereotyped and highly athletic body size and s hape for self-descriptions and for characteristics of companions sough t. (c) 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.