Body size and shape characteristics of personal ("in search of") ads

• Published in: The International journal of eating disorders Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 111 - 115
• Main Authors: Anderson, A.E, Woodward, P.J, Spalder, A, Koss, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.07.1993; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Advertising as Topic; Biological and medical sciences; Body Constitution; Body Height; Body Image; Female; FEMME; HOMBRES; HOMME; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Medical sciences; MEDICION DEL CUERPO; MENSURATION CORPORELLE; MUJERES; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; PUBLICIDAD; PUBLICITE; Sex Factors; SEXE; SEXO; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Sociocultural environment; Stereotyping; Human; Social norm; Social representation; Body image; Cultural environment; Body weight; Body size; Stereotype; Sociocultural environment; Woman; Advertising; Press
• ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X
• DOI: 10.1002/1098-108X(199307)14:1<111::AID-EAT2260140115>3.0.CO;2-Q

This study investigated sociocultural norms for height, weight, and body shape by analyzing 481 personal ads in a large metropolitan city magazine to determine self-report characteristics of males and females seeking companionship as well as the desired height, weight, and shape characteristics of the person being sought. Seventy percent of ads specified weight, shape, or height characteristics and of those ads most were heterosexual Caucasian males and females. Male searchers described themselves as tall, fit, and athletic, but of average weight. Female searchers described themselves as petite or tall and fit with body weight as significantly less (89.4%) than the ideal body weight. Male searchers sought females 5 years younger, thin, fit, petite or tall. Women seekers sought men 3 years older, tall, fit, and athletic. These ads confirmed the use of stereotyped and highly athletic body size and shape for self-descriptions and for characteristics of companions sought