The Clash Between Eastern and Western Body Image - Collin

A study of American, European and Asian men (Taiwanese and Chinese) showed that the Eastern and Western ideas of what the perfect body for a woman would be were very different. Using a computer program to add and subtract muscle mass to images of male bodies, Americans and Europeans tended to bulk up the images with roughly 20 to 30 pounds of muscle. In contrast, the Asian men usually added only about 5 pounds of muscle. This study showed that Asian men were less dissatisfied with their body than both American and European men. Another interesting find in this study was that very few of the Asian men interviewed knew someone that used steroids. As far as who was closest to the female idea of the perfect male body, when given the same program females chose a body much closer to an average body type than to a “beef cake” type.

Citation: Crommie, William J.. "Male body image: East doesn't meet West". Harvard Gazette Archives. 30 Nov 2009 .