"Living well but looking good: a modern health dichotomy": a brief overview on women's body image

• Main Authors: Idalina Shiraishi Kakeshita, Maria Fernanda Laus, Sebastião Sousa Almeida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual Paulista 2013-09-01
• Series: Motriz: Revista de Educacao Fisica
• Subjects: imagen corporal; salud; mujeres
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-65742013000300005&lng=en&tlng=en

Living well but looking good. This health dichotomy is among the majors concerns in modern Western societies, especially for women. But what is "living well"? And what does it mean to "look good"? Are these concepts exclusionary or are they related in females' minds? In this paper, we sought to discuss such approaches by defining these terms, highlighting the current role of women within our society, and the importance of the body to Brazilian women. Moreover, the possible consequences on health of having a negative perception of the own body are raised, including its relation to physical activity.