Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the body image of Japanese women aged 20–59 years using figure stimuli. The findings indicated that the tendency for individuals to perceive their current body shape as heavier than average disappeared in older age groups, women across all age groups tended to idealize a slimmer body shape than the assumed average, and the ideal body shape appeared to be influenced by the assumed gaze of same-sex peers. Additionally, distortions in body shape recognition were relatively less pronounced among women in their 20s compared with older groups. Furthermore, for women in their 20s, how individuals positioned their ideal body shape was associated with body dissatisfaction, whereas for those in their 30s and older, body dissatisfaction was associated with perceptions of their current body shape.
