How Our Body Image Changes as We Age

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When we feel unhappy with how we look, we often feel unhappy with ourselves as a whole. Research shows that body dissatisfaction can degrade other areas of physical and psychological well-being, leading to, for example, disordered eating and low self-esteem. Yet, to date, it is unclear to what extent body dissatisfaction differs across the lifespan, and between cohorts of people. A recent study led by researchers in Australia and New Zealand aimed to shed light on exactly this issue.

Measuring Body Satisfaction across Time

In the study, 9,601 women and 5,663 men completed a measurement of body satisfaction several times across a period of six years. Namely, the participants were asked to indicate their response to the statement, “I am satisfied with the appearance, size and shape of my body,” on a scale from 1 = very inaccurate to 7 = very accurate. So, the higher a participant’s score, the higher their body satisfaction. Participants also reported their demographic information, such as their age and gender.

Then, the researchers analyzed the data to determine, for women and men separately, how body satisfaction changes over time, and whether there were any differences between cohorts. The researchers divided the sample into 11 cohorts, with the youngest being 19 to 24 years old at the start of the study, and the oldest being 69 to 74 years old at the start of the study.

Body Satisfaction Gets Better with Age, but Differs by Gender

The researchers uncovered the following key results in the data.

1. Body satisfaction was relatively stable across the lifespan for both women and men. However, both women and men experienced very slight increases in body satisfaction, as they got older.
2. There were cohort effects for women. Namely, among women who started the study at 54 years or younger, most cohorts experienced an increase in body satisfaction during the time frame of the study.
3. Men, compared to women, experienced higher levels of body satisfaction in all cohorts.

Reflecting on the Causes of Increased Body Satisfaction and Gender Differences

To some, the fact that people experience slight increases in body satisfaction might seem surprising. As people get older, their bodies inevitably get further away from narrow societal beauty standards, which idolize thinness/leanness and youthfulness. Research shows that people compare their body to these beauty standards, and feel worse about their body when they do. Yet, it might actually make sense that body satisfaction gets better with age: Research also shows that people place less importance on their appearance as they get older, and other aspects of their body (e.g., health and the valuable things their body can do), and other aspects of themselves (e.g., their career, family) become more important. These shifts in perspective–what is important in life–could allow people to accept their physical appearance and experience more body satisfaction.

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It is also promising that many cohorts of women are experiencing more noteworthy increases in body satisfaction across time. The researchers theorized that this shift may be due to the body positivity movement, which has gained momentum in recent years. This movement promotes body diversity and acceptance of all bodies, regardless of factors like size, shape, age, or ethnicity. Other research has shown that exposure to the images and messages of the body positivity movement can contribute to a more positive body image for women. The researchers also theorized that increased feminist discourse could be contributing to positive shifts in women’s body image, whereby people are pushing back against rigid beauty standards and gender roles.

Last, it is perhaps less surprising that men experience higher levels of body satisfaction at all ages, compared to women. Despite the gaining prominence of body positivity and feminist discourse, the pressure to obtain and maintain the “ideal” body remains higher for women, and women’s value is still tied much more strongly to their appearance. Thus, while the findings of this study reveal optimistic developments, there is still room for improvement, so that people of all ages and genders are able to love and accept their bodies, and thus experience greater well-being overall.

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