1. UCLA Body Project I: Predictors of Body Satisfaction and Appearance Surveillance Among 2,206 White, Asian, and Hispanic Men and Women Johanna M. Jarcho David A. Frederick Gordon B. Forbes Kristina E. Grigorian University of California, Los Angeles Millikin University

2. Objectification Theory Objectification Theory proposes that women are taught to engage in surveillance: to relentlessly scrutinize their own appearance. Surveillance leads to worse body satisfaction because women focus on how their appearance differs from popular ideals. We believe this process also occurs in men. For women, this popular ideal is being extremely slender (Thin Ideal). For men, this popular ideal is being muscular and toned (Powerful Ideal).

3. Gender Differences  Despite dramatic gender differences in eating disorder rates, measures of global body dissatisfaction reveal only small gender differences (ds =.17 -.52) Feingold & Mazzella, 1998  We propose this small difference may be due to a strong moderating effect of body mass on body satisfaction that varies by gender-specific appearance ideals:  Women: Linear relationship, with heavier women being less satisfied.  Men: Parabolic relationship, with underweight and obese men being less satisfied than healthy or slightly overweight men.  We predict this leads slender women to report greater body satisfaction than slender men, but heavier women report less body satisfaction than heavier men.

4. Ethnic Differences  Most research has focused on the body concerns of White women or sex differences in body satisfaction.  Given that the popular media appearance ideals feature White individuals, ethnic minorities may experience heightened body dissatisfaction because they do not match these White ideals.  Existing research has produced conflicting results regarding the relative body satisfaction of White, Asian, and Hispanic individuals.

5. If surveillance causes individuals to focus on appearance flaws, surveillance may have a particularly negative effect on the body satisfaction of individuals who differ the most from popular ideals. Thus, we suggest the relationship between appearance surveillance and lower body satisfaction will be strongest for those furthest from the popular ideals. It will be:  Strongest in heavier women rather than thinner women  Strongest in very heavy and very slender men  Strongest in ethnic minorities rather than White individuals. Surveillance and Deviation from Popular Ideals

6. Methods  Participants  Procedure  Surveys were completed for credit during under- graduate Psychology classes and upon request at other locations on the UCLA campus.

7. Measures Body Satisfaction w  Appearance Evaluation Scale (Cash, 2000) Higher scores indicate greater body satisfaction  E.g., “I like my looks just the way they are.” Appearance Surveillance  Surveillance Scale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996) Higher scores indicate greater surveillance  E.g., “During the day, I think about how I look many times.” Body Fat  Body Mass Index (BMI) Higher scores indicate higher body fat level.

8. Differences in Body Satisfaction Gender In the total sample, and among Whites and Hispanics, women were less satisfied with their body than men. Ethnicity White men and women were more satisfied than Asians and Hispanics. * p<.05 *** p<.001 *** * Body Satisfaction Women Men

9. Gender Differences in Body Satisfaction By BMI Category ** p<.01 *** p<.001 Body Satisfaction Women Men ** *** Men were more satisfied than women across most of the weight-span. As predicted, however, underweight men were less satisfied than women.

10. Differences in Appearance Surveillance Gender In the total sample, and among Whites and Asians, women engaged in more surveillance than men. Ethnicity There were no ethnic differences in surveillance. *** p<.001 *** Appearance Surveillance Women Men

11. Correlations Between Body Satisfaction and Appearance Surveillance * p <.05 ** p<.01 *** p<.001  There was a stronger relationship in women furthest from the slender ideals (those with higher BMIs). The pattern is less clear for men. Total Sample WhiteAsianHispanic Men-.17***-.21**-.08-.42*** Women-.18***-.04-.22***-.25** Under- weight Lower Healthy Middle Health y Upper Healthy Lower Over- weight Upper Over- weight Obese Men.06-.31***-.27**-.21**-.05-.38*-.31 Women.06-.20***-.19**-.09-.48***-.46*-.08 Ethnicity BMI Category  With the exception of Asian men, there was a stronger relationship in minorities.

12. Conclusion  Our findings suggest that the magnitude and direction of sex differences in body image is strongly dependent on body mass.  Slender women and upper healthy weight / lower overweight men feel most attractive.  Surveillance may have particularly negative effects on the body satisfaction of heavier women and on ethnic minorities.