Latina Body Image

The female body image and what a person should, or could, look like in marketing and advertising is a controversial topic. Beauty sells and is to some extent a problem when the media produces images for women that seem unrealistic. Body image is a critical mental health issue for young girls. It is a concern widespread among women of color, specifically among Latinas. Increasing diversity and perceptions of beauty have driven the need for dialogue on the scrutiny Latinas face across all industries regarding their bodies and appearance.

According to Viladrich, Yeh, Bruning, and Weiss (2009) research suggests that Latinas are more tolerant of heavier female figures, and therefore suffer from less body dissatisfaction than white women do. However, the thin-ideal concept is still quite present in them. Researchers also dispute that an increased occurrence of obesity/overweight in Latinas has steered them to the belief that Hispanic culture is more lenient of heavier figures. Six focus groups were conducted in New York and were divided into two sections. The first addressed the participants’ cultural and personal influences correlated to their opinions of body weight and shape including their

body satisfaction. The second part of the interview addressed the participants’ views concerning physical activity, their incentives to be physically active, and the obstacles they experienced in engaging in a regular physical activity.
The results reported Latina’s having a preference for thinner body types than what they actually considered themselves to be. Overweight and obese women were more tolerant toward heavier set body types, and all women were noticeably conscious of the conventional American standard that thinner body types are the predicament to which women should strive for. Results also indicated the acceptance of heavier and curvier body types, in agreement with Latina standards that are more accustomed to fuller shapes. These findings advocate how diverse body ideologies can co-exist among Latinas.
Studies reported by Gordon, Castro, Sitnikov, and Denoma (2010) further elaborate on the topic. They examined eating disorder symptoms and linked variables among Latina, Black, and White college women. Latino and Black cultures adopt larger body shape standards for women than popular U.S. culture. Regarding personal ideal body shape, there were no significant differences between Latinas and White women, but both groups selected significantly thinner individual body shape standards than Black women. These conclusions suggest that the discrepancy among supposed ethnic groups and alleged body shape is more commonly related to eating disorder symptoms among Latinas. While the inconsistency between apparent body shape and perceived conventional ideal is more commonly linked to eating disorder symptoms among Black women.
Television plays a major role in how women perceive themselves as well. Previous studies conducted with White and Black participants put forward that the body image of adolescent girls and women is subjective only by media models of the same race. Schooler (2008) reported that viewing mainstream television projected a drop in body satisfaction, both in parallel and longitudinal studies. Participants completed various questionnaires measuring their television viewing habits and body satisfaction.
To evaluate the participants’ acculturation, questions were asked about language.

Participants responded on a 5 point Likert-type scale asking what language they usually think in, read and speak, used as a child, and what language they typically speak with friends. To measure the participants’ body satisfaction, the Body Image subscale of the Self-Image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents was included and they responded to those questions on a 4 point Likert type scale. The results were Latinas are increasingly turning to black girls and women as possible sources of comparison. These comparisons may be more favorable as Black-oriented television is more commonly being associated with greater body satisfaction, specifically in the midst of those girls who were more

acculturated.
Studies are now illustrating that parental television involvement can influence self-esteem and body image in adolescents according to Schooler, Kim, and Sorsoli (2006). The young participants recounted their television viewing habits, how often they watched/talked about television with their parents, and if parents forced rules limiting their viewing. It was interesting how results depicted young girls whose parents were more involved in their television viewing as having higher body satisfaction and self-esteem and lower levels of sexual experience than their peers. The results show that adolescents’ awareness of parental caring is a significant instrument in the relationship between parental television involvement and adolescents’ self-esteem and body image.
To conclude, the societal pressure that goes along with ideal body image among females is a highly debated topic. It is a concern that all women of color deal with, specifically Latina women. Although Latina women are reported as having more tolerant views towards heavier set body types, they are aware of the “standard” that thinner body types is what women should strive for. The media also has a great influence on body satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The studies conducted on television viewing habits resulted in participants perceiving body image of adolescent girls and women as subjective by media models of the same race. It was rather intriguing to see how even at a young age parents monitoring what their child watches on television can result in young girls having higher body satisfaction levels.