Seeing is believing: Plus-size models may boost body image

A new study shows that society’s seeming preference for super-skinny models may only be in the eyes of their beholders.

Preliminary research from Durham University in the UK reveals (yet again!) that what women see in the media shapes their views about their own shape. It seems logical, but it’s a message that’s only recently filtering in to top fashion magazines and couture catwalks – namely that if plus-size models are used in advertising and glam fashion shoots, women will find those body types beautiful and aspirational. And this may also have the side effect of boosting the self-esteem of average and plus-size women.

In the study, the more images of thin models the participants saw, the more they preferred that body type. Yet when they were shown pictures of plus-size models, their preference shifted to that figure. What this reveals is that women have a much more diverse view of female beauty than our media portrays, and what we’re exposed to absolutely affects our definition of an “ideal body.” Follow-up studies with more women (and men!) are forthcoming.