A Comparison of the Anthropometric Measurements of Idealized Female Body Images in Media Directed to Men, Women, and Mixed Gender Audiences

This study compared the anthropometric measurements of the idealized female body in media targeted to men, women, or mixed gender audiences. Idealized female body size was also compared with that of young women in general (YWIG). The results indicate that the idealized female body is not reflective of the actual or healthy body size. The measurements of idealized females in media targeted to men, women, or mixed gender audiences share more similarities with each other than with YWIG. Idealized women tend to be taller and weigh less than YWIG—with many being underweight. The gap between the body size of YWIG and that idealized in the media is large and growing. This contrast raises concerns about the impact of media on the female body image expectations of both women and men.