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The beauty standard over the female body based on the BMI

The objective of this study was to confirm the existence of a beauty standard over the feminine body and to define it by means of a scientific standard, which is the Body Mass Index, as well as to know how this body is socially represented. One hundred and fifty-one subjects, including undergraduate and postgraduate students of Physical Education from the State University of Pernambuco, answered a questionnaire that included questions which allowed the analysis of a panel containing photos of 7 women aged between 18 and 22 years. Not only the existence of a standard of physical beauty in our society was confirmed, but also a tendency to uniformity in the perception of a beautiful body by Physical Education students and professionals, as well as by individuals not included in this group.

Aesthetics; Beauty; Body image; BMI


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