Body image in todays society essays

Body image in todays society essays Parks, M.S., Read, M.H. (1997). Adolescent male athletes: body image, diet, and exercise. Adolescence, 32, 593-602. Today's society is heavily focused on the physical aspect of our bodies. It seems that our body image is of a very important concern to many. According to previous research studies one's self-esteem is closely related to the degree of satisfaction with one's body image. Most of the research before now on body image has been done in relation to the female population. The concerns of how one looks used to be thought of as a female preoccupation. However, cultural and societal trends have come to suggest that body image concerns may also affect males. New research has shown that the adolescent male is vulnerable to the pressures of obtaining the "ideal" male body. The ideal includes the V-shape, muscularity, and tallness. This new desire has led many to participate in athletics. Most of the data relevant to this subject has been done on college and adult aged people. This study is due to the limited information regarding younger male athletes. The study was done to investigate and compare body image concerns between two groups of adolescent male athletes. The two groups were composed of football players and cross-country runners. Diet and exercise often modify body image. So data was also collected on reasons for exercising and attitudes toward eating and weight control. I believe that the football players will be the ones who accept their body image more than the cross-country runners. The data was collected through a questionnaire. Various coaches were called up and asked to administer the questionnaire to their players at a convenient time. The players were told to answer seriously and make sure their answers were clear. The questionnaire included: Body Esteem Scale, Body Size Drawings, Eating Attitudes Test, and Reasons for Exercis ...