body image

we speak and write about men's bodies and women's bodies in very different ways. Minneapolis writer Mary Morse Marti sees a direct association between a study showing that adolescent girls are almost twice as likely as boys to be depressed—primarily because of their poor body image—and, for example, media emphasis on women's bathing suit fashions that extols such virtues as "constructed bust lines" to "enhance smaller chests," "bottoms to flatter round stomachs and hips," and even suits with "built-in shape" for women and girls unfortunate enough to have none. Morse Marti wonders if she can expect to see similar articles on men's swimwear that feature "size-enhancing groin pads, rear-end boning (for that all-important pert look), and retro 'Dad' full-cut boxer trunks (for men and boys with something to hide)." There are virtually no general-interest books telling teenage boys how to dress, how to control weight, how to feel more comfortable about their bodies; countless fiction and nonfiction books address these issues for teenage girls. Examine your words for irrelevant references to body image. See also fat, looksism, overweight.