Author : Erica Berg
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (263 download)
Book Synopsis Body Image in the Middle Age Women: How Body Changes Affect Personal Interests, Relationships, and Self-image by : Erica Berg
Download or read book Body Image in the Middle Age Women: How Body Changes Affect Personal Interests, Relationships, and Self-image written by Erica Berg and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the field of body image literature, researchers have traditionally neglected middle age women in favor of adolescents with eating disorders, or geriatric women with health problems, resulting in sparse amounts of available research on middle age women. Moreover, researchers have focused on pathology's effect on body image, including eating disorders and disfiguring illnesses. However, body image research has consistently demonstrated that women of all ages have poorer body images than men, and evidence exists confirming that middle age women suffer from negative body image. There is little research on women of any age as to the effects of poor body image on various areas of functioning. A qualitative analysis of five women in regards to body image and its impact on areas of functioning is carried out. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and coded. Results indicated that adult women experience distress over body image, and experience a "health crisis" that serves as an impetus to increasingly focus on health rather than physical appearance. Participants coped with distress by mobilizing social and environmental supports and utilizing a variety of behavioral strategies. Contributions of these findings to the current literature on body image are discussed.