Racial differences in body type preferences of men for women

Abstract

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. Method: 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. Discussion: 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. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.