Understanding aging women’s body perceptions and links to health and well-being 

Body image is of central concern to many women, and as women age they move further from cultural beauty ideals that are based on maintaining a youthful appearance. While this pattern may suggest that body image has less of an impact on older women, my pioneering research shows that body image is a significant predictor of health and well-being for aging women. Additionally, older women’s body concerns may change with age. Older women have reported placing value on different aspects of the body as they age, for example by valuing functional aspects of the body over cosmetic or appearance-related features. The publications below represent my work in this area that has established a) a link between aging women’s body perceptions and health and psychological well-being, and b) the importance of assessing perceptions of functional aspects of the body as well as appearance concerns to understand the impact of body perceptions on health.