Gender differences in effects of mood on body image

The relation between experimental mood alteration and body image was examin ed. Eighty-four predominantly White students (49 women, 35 men), who provid ed data on height, weight, GPA, and age, experienced a moon induction (depr essed, neutral, elated) by reading self-descriptive (Velten-type) statement s. Participants completed 3 measures indicating how they felt and looked, a nd their ideal body weight. Regression analysis controlling for individual differences in mood score and body build (ponderal index) found that as ex perimentally induced mood decreased, participants said they felt heavier bu t neither how they looked nor their ideal weight was altered. For those in the low-mood condition, overweight people felt heavier but underweight peop le felt lighter. Women with low mood scores wanted to be lighter and men wi th low mood scores wanted to be heavier, suggesting that unhappiness invoke s comparison with a gender stereotype of physical attractiveness.