Body positive images on social media improve how men see their bodies, according to new research in Acta Psychologica.
For the study, researchers examined body positive and idealized body images on Instagram and the impact they have on 207 men and women on terms of positive and negative moods, body satisfaction, drive for thinness and drive for masculinity. Participants were then exposed to idealized body (thin, fit women wearing a bikini or shirtless men flexing abs), body-positive (women/men of varying body shape, size, and features) or control imagery (landscapes and animals). Initial measurements were repeated.
Exposure to idealized body imagery decreased positive mood and body satisfaction in both men and women. By contrast, body-positive imagery increased body satisfaction and decreased the drive for thinness in both men and women. Body-positive imagery did not decrease men’s concerns about their muscularity, the study showed. Researchers suggest that body positivity is perceived as being about plus-size bodies more than any other body characteristics.
“The body positivity movement aims to challenge unrealistic body portrayals and promote a diverse and inclusive body representation,” says study author Fabio Fasoli, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology at the University of Surrey, in a news release. “The movement has become very popular but often seen as focusing on women only. A significant number of men use Instagram, but little is known about the impact the images they see in their feed have on them.”
The bottom line? “Exposure to body positive images on Instagram can be beneficial for both men and women,” Fasoli says. “Such images are important in reminding people that all our bodies are different and not to compare themselves to unrealistic images posted on social media platforms.”
