Another body project: The thin ideal, motherhood and body dissatisfaction among Mexican women
Journal of Health Psychology: An Interdisciplinary, International Journal
Published online on May 16, 2013
Abstract
In this article, we examine the bodily experiences of Mexican women, to investigate their acceptance of the thin ideal and resulting body dissatisfaction. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 30 adult participants in Mexico City. Interviewees accepted the thin body ideal, but experiencing their bodies as signifiers of motherhood protected them from body dissatisfaction. Instead of a personal body project, they engaged in a project of caring for their children’s bodies. We suggest that health campaigns directed to adult women should consider the relational aspects of their lives.