Body image, self-concept, and the aging process

A review of the physical attractiveness and aging literature suggested that double standards exist with respect to both age and gender. Physical attractiveness and physical attractiveness with respect to age have each been implicated in the literature as cause for differential treatment in both young and old alike. Implicit in the literature is the notion that physical characteristics attributed to aging (e.g., balding, wrinkling) are judged harshly by today's standards. This is found to be especially true for women and suggested to their affect self-concepts.

The present study investigated the relationship between body image and self-concept in the aging process. Results from this study revealed that body image and self-concept were related but did not, as predicted, decrease as age increased. Further, physical and mental symptoms of aging were also related to self-concept but did not increase, as predicted, as individuals aged. Surprisingly, discrepancy between current body image and a retrospective account of body image at age twenty-one was not related to either selfconcept or age. Similar results were found with respect to discrepancy between real and ideal weight.