Weight standards

Contrary to popular belief, the body is far from being a strictly personal object. Like many aspects of our daily lives, it is subject to societal norms. In the light of these norms, certain characteristics, such as weight and build, can be common or even constant preoccupations for individuals. This raises the question of the extent to which weight norms govern relationships with the body. This study looks at the changing place of the body in society and the social construction of body standards. These differ from period to period, as do the resulting models of beauty. They are disseminated in many ways, not least through the media, which play a central role in promoting the 'desirable body'. Omnipresent in our lives, they constantly affirm and remind us of established standards. The pressure they exert on individuals is at the heart of this research. Through the discourse of our respondents, we analyse the impact of these models, from the discrimination they engender to the bodily practices that result from the quest for the 'perfect body'.