Generally speaking, compared to women, men are less dissatisfied with their own body and consider themselves to be better-looking and less overweight. So far, however, it is unclear whether these divergent body ratings arise from the application of double standards. Identity cues, such as faces, might activate different body schemata, which influence body ratings and thus lead to the application of double standards. Participants were instructed to rate their emotional reaction to the bodies according to valence and arousal, and to rate the bodies with respect to attractiveness, body fat, and muscle mass. Both women and men showed self-deprecating double standards in valence, body attractiveness, body fat and muscle mass for the overweight body.

Professorial Research Fellow. Edition: Available editions United States. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Articles Contributors Links Articles on Women's bodies Displaying all articles Nigerian women use nudity to turn traditional ideas of protest on their heads. A woman's work on her body will never be done if she wants to live a normal life. Australian women were once largely seen as reproducers, rather than lovers: sexual pleasure was suspect. Attitudes have changed, yet our culture is still troubled by female desire.

For example, a study reported that descriptions of female bodies have historically been described in categories based on shapes, such as triangle, rectangle, diamond, oval, and hourglass. These are just a few of the different body types that you might hear about. You may find that your individual shape features characteristics from several of the different body types discussed below:. You probably have slim arms and a fairly defined waist.

Healthy sexual and reproductive organs are vital to a woman's sexual health. Learning about the functions of each organ and how these organs work together allows you to be aware of your body and of any changes that might indicate a problem. This information can also help you choose a method of birth control or determine when is the best time to try and get pregnant.