Consumers desire a more accurate representation of beauty in the media says a new study by Dove. The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report saw 10,500 women and girls from 13 different countries interviewed on their opinions about themselves, as well as the way women are portrayed in the media.
Dove states the results reflect “women around the world desire a new beauty definition.” Low body confidence and appearance anxiety remains an ongoing issue – 69 per cent of women and 65 per cent of girls interviewed said they had anxiety about their appearance. Those interviewed attributed this directly to “increasing pressures from advertising and media to reach an unrealistic standard of beauty.” In addition, 71 per cent of women and 65 per cent of girls from the same group agree the media can “do a better job portraying women of diverse physical appearance, age, race, shape, and size.”
Dr Nancy Etcoff of Harvard Medical School helped to analyse the results, commenting that it is the responsibility of beauty companies to encourage a more realistic representation of beauty and its diversity among women. She says in order to “empower women and girls in many ways”, society needs to “advocate for change in how females and their appearance are talked about and portrayed in the media.”
