To see is to believe

Seeing photos of bodies of diverse sizes could shape the way women see their own size and whether they’re happy with it.

UK researchers found women who were shown images of women of normal or slight overweight were more likely to see themselves and others as smaller, compared with seeing pictures of underweight women.

UK researchers say this was also the case for women who were very dissatisfied with their bodies, and the effect lasted for around a day.

The study was small so the results need further investigation, but the researchers suggest media use of images of women of a healthy weight may help women feel happier with their bodies, potentially reducing the risk of eating disorders and obesity.

Royal Society Open Science, May 2018