Understanding Men’s Body Image in the Context of Their Romantic Relationships

Abstract

This study examined men’s body image in the context of their romantic relationships. One hundred and four heterosexual romantic couples ( N = 208 participants) completed measures assessing men’s body image, perceptions of men’s weight change, relationship length, and sexual intimacy. Men’s height and weight were also measured. Results indicate that men were more likely to be satisfied with their bodies when they perceived their partners to be, when their partners actually were satisfied with their bodies, and when they perceived themselves to have gained relatively little weight throughout the duration of their relationships. Analyses also revealed that men expressed greater body satisfaction when there was a relatively high degree of sexual intimacy in the relationship. Findings are discussed in terms of their contributions to researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding of men’s body satisfaction.