Body Image Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women and Children

Preface to the fourth edition

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

1. History
2. Definitions
3. Theoretical Perspectives
4. Aims and Content of this Text
5. Bibliography

2. Culture and Body Image　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1. The Idealization of Slenderness
2. The Basis of Body Shape Ideals
3. The Dieting Industry
4. Summary
5. Bibliography

3. Women and Body Image　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1. Assessment of Body Image
2. Behavioral Indicators of Body Dissatisfaction
3. Social Construction of the Feminine Body
4. Summary
5. Bibliography

4. Men and Body Image　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1. Assessment of Body Image
2. Behavioral Indicators of Body Dissatisfaction
3. Social Construction of the Masculine Body
4. Summary
5. Bibliography

5. Media Effects　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1. Media Portrayal of Women’s Bodies
2. Media Portrayal of Men’s Bodies
3. Surveys Relating Media Exposure to Body Image
4. Studies Investigating Direct Effects of Media Images on Body Image
5. Interview Studies
6. Theories of Media Influence
7. Body Shape Role Models
8. Recent Developments
9. Summary

   10. Bibliography

6. Age, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Sexuality

1. Body Image Across the Life Span
2. Ethnicity and Body Image
3. Socioeconomic Status and Body Image
4. Body Shape, Sexual Attractiveness, and Sexuality
5. Summary
6. Bibliography

7. Reducing Body Dissatisfaction and Promoting Positive Body Image　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

1. Psychological Factors Predicting Body Dissatisfaction
2. General Conclusions and Future Directions

Biography

Sarah Grogan is Emeritus Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She has been involved in body image research since 1990. Her research centres on reducing body dissatisfaction in men, women, and children, with a particular focus on the impact of body image and related behaviours on physical health.

"Professor Grogan’s skillfully updated book is an excellent, science-grounded source of information and insights on body image. The work considers body image and its consequences within multiple determinative contexts, such as culture, gender, ethnicity, social class, media, and sexuality. I strongly recommend this reader-friendly work to scholars and students alike."

Thomas F. Cash, Old Dominion University, USA

"In this eagerly-awaited fourth edition, author Sarah Grogan offers a comprehensive, insightful and up-to-the-minute distillation of knowledge about body image in the 2020s. She skillfully summarises the broad and ever-expanding body of research into one thought-provoking but very readable and accessible volume. The accompanying illustrations and quotations serve to make the material come alive for the reader and demonstrate the very real human significance of this contemporary concern."

Marika Tiggemann, Flinders University, Australia

"What we know about body image is continuously expanding in exciting ways due to the evolving interest and research in this area. In her fourth edition, Professor Sarah Grogan expertly captures and distills this knowledge to create an up-to-date, thoughtful, comprehensive, and accessible text which aptly recognizes that the experience of body image differs based on identities such as gender, age, and culture. This text is certain to be the go-to resource for anyone who would like a deeper and nuanced understanding of the current status of the body image field."

Tracy L. Tylka, The Ohio State University, USA