Differences In Body Satisfaction And Self Esteem In White Black Hispanic And Asian Females At A Small College

Poor body image and low self-esteem have been accepted as factors increasing the risk of the development of eating disorders in women. For decades research was conducted with populations of mostly White women focusing little on other races. The recent attention to ethnic differences in body image and self-esteem have not provided consistent results. With the shift in the definition of beauty in the United States that is more inclusive of differing ethnicities and body shapes prior conclusions may be invalidated. This study examined the self-esteem and body perception of Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian women at a small college. A relationship was found between self-esteem and body satisfaction independent of ethnicity. Black women were found to have the highest self-esteem and to be more satisfied with their bodies than any other group yet their mean body mass index is considered to be overweight.