It's no secret that social media has made many view their bodies more critically than ever before. With images showing off beauty standards that can only be achieved through careful editing, our standards have gotten skewed. Treadmill Review polled more than 1000 Americans for their "ideal" body type. According to the results, the "ideal" female body is 5'5", about 130 pounds, and has a 26-inch waist.To explore the impact of such a study, we spoke to board-certified anesthesiologist and physician Dr. Azza Halim.
Meet the Expert
Dr. Azza Halim is a leading, board-certified anesthesiologist and physician with a focusonaesthetic medicine, anti-aging treatments, and regenerative medicine.
Society's “Ideal” Female Body Type
Treadmill Review surveyed 1000 Americans and asked them to share their "ideal" body types based on the gender they are most attracted to. The company received responses from individuals across three generations—Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials. Their responses varied slightly. However, they largely shared the same viewpoint on the "ideal" female body type. According to their responses, the "ideal" woman would be 5'5", weigh between 121-130 pounds, and have a 25 or 26-inch waist.
Debunking the “Ideal” Female Body Type
To be clear, the weight-to-height ratio isn't necessarily problematic at face value; it technically falls under the "healthy" BMI range. But a 26-inch waist is very slim for those proportions and would require an extremely low body fat percentage to be conceivable. But even that statement ignores the most obvious issue with this data: by instituting these arbitrary ideas as the thing to aspire to, we're automatically setting ourselves up for dissatisfaction.
"All too often, we are seeing patients coming in to look like someone else all due to social pressure from social media, beauty trends, fashion trends, etc.," Dr. Halim says. "Medically speaking, one should focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, good skincare, and enhancing natural beauty instead of trying to reconstruct themselves. It is neither healthy nor safe physically, mentally, or emotionally."
The Dangerous Side Effects
As mentioned above, trying to adhere to rigid body dimensions as those outlined in the survey can affect one's nutrition habits and overall health. In the pursuit of achieving society's beauty standards, medical experts have specifically seen patients engage in unhealthy dieting practices. "Starvation diets have proven to be detrimental to one’s immune system, endocrine function, hormonal health, and emotional well-being," Dr. Halim says. "Instead, all should aim for balanced nutrition and exercise to achieve their ideal body weight for their height, age, and genetics as it’s not all about a number."
Dr. Halim also notes that surveys focusing on measurements can also encourage individuals to seek out unnecessary medical procedures to emulate the "ideal" body type dimensions.
The (Actual) Average Women’s Body
The body dimensions highlighted in the survey do not align with what the average woman looks like today. According to data collected by the CDC, the average female adult (age 20 or over) is 5'3", 170.8 pounds, and has a 38.7-inch waist.
Embracing All Body Types
With the rise in"body positivity"and "body neutrality" movements, society has begun to shift away from celebrating one "ideal" body type. While there is still more work to be done, we now see bodies of all shapes and sizes being featured more in the media. Shedding the widespread narrative that one has to look a certain way and adhere to unrealistic standards to be beautiful sends a powerful message. "We are seeing more [people] that are comfortable in their skin and size," Dr. Halim says. "That also sends a better message as we are all different, and we shouldn’t aim to be someone else."
The Final Takeaway
Promoting rhetoric about "ideal" body types promotes unhealthy physique aspirations. It is important to not internalize surveys like this as fact, and remember that our bodies are all made to look different (and that is okay). "Most of these dimensions are not true statistics but rather based on the perception of people surveyed (which is less than 1000 in the group). Therefore, we must scrutinize them carefully before sharing [the results] as a “statistic," Dr. Halim notes.
FAQs
Many elements of society promote the idea that having a 'perfect body' is a guaranteed way to command others' admiration and approval. Society portrays this perfect body as the key–the secret to attracting a romantic partner, to landing a dream job, to having good health, popularity, success, and self-confidence.
What is considered the perfect female body? ›
Society's “Ideal” Female Body Type
Their responses varied slightly. However, they largely shared the same viewpoint on the "ideal" female body type. According to their responses, the "ideal" woman would be 5'5", weigh between 121-130 pounds, and have a 25 or 26-inch waist.
How does the ideal woman's body change from culture to culture? ›
Although thin bodies are the ideal in America today, this is not always the case in other parts of the world. In some countries larger bodies are actually preferred because they are symbols of wealth, power, and fertility.
Which female body shape is most attractive? ›
Top hourglass body shape
Considered to be the most attractive body shape, this is very similar to hourglass body shape, except that in this case the curves are more defined.
What makes a female body attractive? ›
Some studies have shown that attractive bodily traits in the eyes of a heterosexual woman would include a tall, athletic physique, with wide shoulders, and a slim waist area. Research has additionally shown that college males had a better satisfaction with their body than college females.
Is there too much pressure on females to have perfect bodies? ›
Today, the pressure young girls put on themselves to sustain an ideal body is dangerous, both physically and mentally. People are extremely judgmental of who people are and what they can't change. Girls, especially, are prone to put themselves down for their appearance, which leads to unhealthy habits.
What is the perfect figure size for a woman? ›
The specific proportions of 36–24–36 inches (90-60-90 centimeters) have frequently been given as the "hourglass" proportions for women since at least the 1960s (these measurements are, for example, the title of a hit instrumental by The Shadows).
When did skinny become the beauty standard? ›
In the 1920s, the curvaceous, busty look from the early 1910s was exchanged for a more androgynous, flat-chested appearance. Slenderness was a must, and many women were willing starve themselves in order to achieve this ideal body. It was also during this time period that weight loss advertisem*nts became popular.
Who was the perfect female body 100 years ago? ›
The "Gibson girl" was the creation of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, a type of woman that came to epitomize the ideal feminine beauty at the turn of the century. Gibson described the figure, who was tall with a large bust and wide hips but a narrow waist, as a composite of young women he'd observed.
What is the hottest female shape? ›
In Russia, the mesomorph and hourglass shape is considered the most attractive body type for women.
Men prefer females with a lower waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, indicating a preference for more fertile individuals. The study found that males do not prefer underweight females.
Which size is perfect for a 5 feet girl? ›
FEMALE - IMPERIAL
| Size | HEIGHT (Feet + Inches) | WEIGHT (Pounds) |
|---|
| XS | 5 | 104 |
| S | 5'2" | 115 |
| M | 5'3" | 126 |
| L | 5'4" | 137 |
2 more rowsAn ''Ideal'' body image is used to refer to the body size determined by a cultural group to maximize beauty and/or success and the optimum physical state as defined by society [1] . The concept of an ideal body image directly affects an individual's body image satisfaction or dissatisfaction. ...
What does it mean to have a perfect body? ›
A perfect body is where a happy person lives. Perfection cannot be an empty notion of beauty; Perfection is about health, strength, positivity, being stress-free and active; Perfection is being able to enjoy every day, doing the things we love, with the people we love, in a healthy and balanced way.
How is society like a human body? ›
Emile Durkheim argued that society was like a human body (the organic analogy). Society was made up of various institutions that acted like the organs of the body: they all needed to be functioning properly for the body to function.
What is the perfection of the body? ›
Health and strength are the first conditions for the natural perfection of the body, not only muscular strength and the solid strength of the limbs and physical stamina, but the finer, alert and plastic and adaptable force which our nervous and subtle physical parts can put into the activities of the frame.
