Influence of fashion industry and media on individual body perceptions held by female college students as compared to perceptions held by middle-aged females

Fixation on body shape and attaining societal beauty ideals is no new concept. History shows that body shaping can be dated back to early civilization. Modern American culture heavily emphasizes the female body, and clearly suggests an ideal form. Contrasting the reality of the body size/ shape of the modern American woman, the commonly held female beauty ideal in modern western society emphasizes thinness. This study examines the presence of body dissatisfaction among college females at a private Southern University, as compared to middle-aged females from the same region. Body dissatisfaction was found to decrease with age, and body ideal perceptions tend to become increasingly realistic, attainable, and “healthy” as age increases.