Racial differences in body type preferences of men for women.
OBJECTIVE
Research indicates that African-American women have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity, a markedly lower prevalence of eating disorders, and greater satisfaction with their bodies than Euro-American women. One potential contributing explanation for this difference may be differential body type preferences between the men in the two communities.


METHODS
Sixty-three African-American and 116 Euro-American men were asked to rank, in order of attractiveness, a series of silhouettes of women of varying sizes. Additionally, they answered questions concerning their current relationships.


RESULTS
Euro-Americans chose significantly thinner figures, and reported wishing their girlfriends would lose weight significantly more often than African-Americans.


CONCLUSIONS
These differential preferences may translate into greater pressure within the Euro-American community for women to be thin than in the African-American community; however, a small effect size suggests that factors other than race contribute to men's body type preferences.
Greenberg
D R
DR
University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Psychology 21228-5398, USA.
LaPorte
D J
DJ
D001741:Black or African American; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044465:White People; D014930:Women