today-aol ideal to real body image survey results_v2[3]

TODAY/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey | February 2014

IDEAL TO REAL BODY IMAGE SURVEY

NEW RESEARCH FROM TODAY AND AOL.COM EXAMINES OUR OBSESSION WITH HOW WE LOOK AND THE POWERFUL INFLUENCES – BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL – THAT IMPACT HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OUR BODY IMAGE.

FEBRUARY 2014

SUMMARY Our obsession with our appearance starts almost the moment we wake. Most of us spend close to an hour every day getting ready, and yet, even with all the daily grooming and preparation, we’re still worried about the face we present to the world. We’re plagued with self-doubt about what others see when they look at us, and are typically our own worst critics when we look in the mirror. A joint study from NBC’s The Today Show and AOL.com surveyed over 2000 adults and 200 teens to understand how people feel about their body image. The study explored how much time we spend on our appearance; the aspects of our looks we worry about the most; the relationship between factors like gender, age, parental status, and emotional connections and the way we feel about our looks; and the impact of social media and celebrity images on own confidence and insecurities. Research highlights:

DAILY ROUTINE: Adult women spend an average of 55 minutes per day on their appearance – that’s 335 hours every year (or a 2-week vacation spent doing nothing except grooming and getting dressed). And it’s almost 100 hours more than men spend. For teen girls the difference is even more pronounced – they spend 402 hours every year on their appearance, almost twice as many as teen boys.

LOOKS ON OUR MINDS: The numbers above do not reflect the additional time we spend thinking about our appearance throughout the day. Over half of adults report that they think about their appearance at least “several times daily” – if not more. And while people do sometimes think positive thoughts at these times, women are as likely to think a negative thought as they are a positive thought. Teen girls are even harder on themselves: 85% of teen girls say they worry about

TODAY.com / AOL.com


their appearance at least once a week (72% say it’s every day or most days).

OUR OBSESSIONS: When asked what body part they worry over most, men and women agree that their stomach is their biggest source of anxiety. Skin, wrinkles, and hair are other top worries. Once again, women outpace men on worrying: the average woman worries about 6 “problem areas” vs only 3 for the average man.

WEIGHTY MATTERS: Most Americans are worried about their weight: 3 in 4 adults say that they feel that they could always lose weight. For women – both adult women AND teen girls, that figure is even higher (82%). A third of teen girls feel that they would never tell anyone their true weight (the same proportion for adult women).

SELFIE CONSCIOUS: Opinions are divided in terms of how the images they see on social media (both of themselves, and of others) make people feel about themselves. When people have some control over what they see on their social feed, such as when they post a new favorite “selfie,” social media is more likely to make people feel better about themselves. But how people appear on social media is not always in their control and the same tool can make people feel more self-conscious and insecure. In fact, while 40% of adult social media users say that seeing selfies and other flattering photos online “makes me feel more confident”, 41% say social media overall “makes me feel more self-conscious about my appearance.” The results are even more stark for the generation who grew up with social media, and especially for teen girls – who in almost equal numbers report that photos they post of themselves have the power to make them feel more confident while pictures others post of them can make them feel bad about themselves.

CELEBRITY IMAGES: Glamorous, air-brushed images of celebrities do have the power to make people feel bad about themselves. 80% of teen girls compare themselves to images they see of celebrities; among those who compare themselves to these images, almost half say it makes them feel dissatisfied with their own appearance.

MAGIC AGE: Are the best days behind us? Most adults seem to think so. When asked at what age they felt best about their bodies and their overall appearance, more than half of all adults surveyed named an age YOUNGER than their current age. Interestingly the average “magic age” when they felt best about their appearance was 27, for both men and women. On the other hand, teens, at least, are living in the moment: the vast majority (73%) say that the age they are now is when they will feel best about their bodies.

IT GETS BETTER: For most adults, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it comes with age. Age seems to make people more resilient, or less concerned with things like appearance that aren’t as important. As women and men get older, they still think about their appearance, and even have specific problem areas that they

TODAY.com / AOL.com


worry about, but overall they spend much less time thinking about or obsessing over the way they look.

TODAY.com / AOL.com


KEY FINDINGS DAILY ROUTINE Three hundred and thirty-five hours: that’s how much time women spend on their appearance every year -- almost 100 hours more than men. For teen girls, the difference is even more pronounced: they spend 402 hours every year on their appearance – almost twice as many hours as teen boys.

Source: TODAY/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, February 2014

Q: On an average day, how much time do you spend on your appearance? (For example: styling your hair, putting on makeup, picking out what to wear, shaving,

etc.) Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053);

All Teens 16-17 (n=200); Teen Boys (n=100); Teen Girls (n=100)

Our motivations for spending time on our appearance differ significantly for men and women:

Women spend almost an hour a day on their appearance because they want to feel better about themselves. This motivation is important for men too, but significantly more important for women (59% for adult men vs. 78% for adult women).

Adult men place a higher priority on looking professional (52% for adult men vs. 38% for adult women).

TODAY.com / AOL.com


Not surprisingly, teens and young adults are more likely than their elders to spend time on their appearance in the hopes of attracting a significant other.

A woman’s greater worry over her appearance starts first thing: her daily routine involves almost twice as many steps and takes almost twice as long as a man’s. 68% of adult women (and 71% of teen girls) put on makeup as part of their typical daily routine; around a third of women say that they “never leave the house without make-up.”


Q: Which of these do you typically do to get ready for the day? Please select all that apply.

Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053)

LOOKS ON OUR MINDS The time people spend getting ready is not the only time they spend on their appearance: most people also think about how they look multiple times throughout the day. And while the overall frequency with which men and women think about their personal appearance is relatively even, women think negative thoughts almost twice as often as men. Similarly, teen girls are almost twice as likely as teen boys to think negative thoughts

5 AVERAGE ITEMS IN A

WOMAN’S DAILY ROUTINE

AVERAGE ITEMS IN A MAN’S DAILY ROUTINE

3

TODAY.com / AOL.com


about their appearance on a regular basis. In fact, over one third of adult women and one half of teen girls think a negative thought about the way they look MORE OFTEN than they think a positive thought. Men and teen boys on the other hand lean toward a healthier balance – only around 15% of males think negative thoughts more often than they think positive thoughts about their appearance.

Source: TODAY/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, February 2014 Q: How often have you had positive/negative thoughts about your appearance in the past

month? Base: Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053); Teen Boys (n=100); Teen Girls

(n=100)

Appearance is a pervasive source of worry for adults, over half of whom admit to worrying (or feeling unsure) about their appearance at least once a week or more. Adult Women worry about their appearance with greater frequency than they do their Finances, Health, Relationships, and Professional Success. And while Adult Men worry a little more often about their Finances, their Appearance is often on their minds as well.

TODAY.com / AOL.com



Q: How often in the past month have you worried (or felt unsure) about the following? Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053);


For teens overall and particularly teen girls, worrying about their appearance is a regular and frequent occurrence: 85% of teen girls say they worry about their appearance at least weekly (72% say it’s every day or most days); 56% of teen boys say they regularly worry about their appearance.

Adult Men Body Part Adult Women 17% Natural hair 32% 21% Gray hair 29% 24% Thinning hair 18% 20% Facial hair 27% 10% Eyebrows 22% 9% Nose 10% 4% Lips 8% 11% Wrinkles 28% 23% Skin 40% 10% Chin/neck 27% 8% Arms 23% 7% Hands 13% 9% Nails 18% 15% Excess body hair 15%

OUR OBSESSIONS When asked what body part they worried over most, men and women agree that their stomachs are their biggest sources of anxiety (69% of women and 52% worry about their stomachs, and it’s the TOP source of concern for a third of all adults). Skin, wrinkles, and hair are other top worries for all adults. Once again, women outperform men on worrying about appearance: the average woman

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14% Chest / Breasts 24% 52% Stomach 69% 5% Cellulite 29% 7% Butt 29% 4% Hips 25% 5% Thighs 36% 5% Legs 20% 2% Ankles 5% 8% Feet 12%

% likely to worry about/obsess over body part


Q: Which parts of your body/appearance are you likely to worry about or obsess over?

Please select all that apply. Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059);

Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053)

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WEIGHTY MATTERS Three in four adults surveyed feel like they could always lose some weight. Given that finding, perhaps it’s not surprising that many adults would take instant weight loss over a little bit of cash: when asked if they would rather instantly lose 10 pounds or receive $10 cash, 70% of women and 52% of men chose the weight loss. Over half of adult women surveyed said that they would take the instant 10-pound weight loss over a larger gift of $50 cash, and one in five adult women would take the instant weight loss over a more significant cash gift of $500.

WOULD YOU RATHER INSTANTLY LOSE 10 POUNDS OR RECEIVE A GIFT OF $?


Q: Would you rather instantly lose 10 pounds or receive a gift of $10 | $50 | $100 | $500 | $1000 | $10,000?

Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053)

Teen girls feel the same about losing weight, and would choose similarly: 82% of teen girls feel that they could always lose weight; 66% of them would take 10 pounds over $10, and 18% would take 10 pounds over $500.

TODAY.com / AOL.com



Q: Would you agree or disagree with the following? (% Agree) Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053)

Interestingly, when it comes to dating someone who is overweight, most relationship seekers are open to the possibility. Generationally, teens and Millennials are slightly less likely than older adults to say they would consider dating someone who is overweight – but the majority of all groups say they would consider it.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DATE SOMEONE WHO IS OVERWEIGHT?


Q: Would you be willing to date someone who is considered overweight?. Base: Respondents who are unmarried/not in relationship:

Adults 18+ (n=863); Adult Males (n=505); Adult Females (n=358); Teens 16-17 (n=167); Teen Boys (n=86); Teen Girls (n=83);

Millennials (n=612); Gen X (n=224); Boomers (n=182)

73%

56%

27%

63%

44%

15%

82%

68%

38%

I always feel like I could lose weight

I don't feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit / swim trunks

I would never tell anyone my true weight

All Adults 18+ Adult Men Adult Women

69% 65% 74%

60% 62% 59% 64% 72% 73%

All Adults 18+ Men Women All Teens (16-‐17)

Teen Boys Teen Girls Millennials Gen X Boomers

TODAY.com / AOL.com


SELFIE-CONSCIOUS Adults are relatively evenly split over how social media makes them feel about themselves. It appears that people are more generous in their assessment of social media when what they are looking at is in their own control – so for example, when people see “selfies” and other flattering photos of themselves, 40% of adults report that they feel more confident. But an equal number of people report feeling bad about themselves when they see pictures that others post of them on social media, perhaps pointing to the challenges of living in an “always on” social media world in which controlling one’s image is not always possible. Adults however are less likely to agree that seeing other people “living glamourous-looking lives” makes them feel bad, or that social media means they “always need to be camera ready.” In general, women tend to find more about social media to make them feel bad about themselves: 46% of women say social media makes them feel more self-conscious about their appearance, vs only 36 % of men.


Q: Would you agree or disagree with the following? (% Agree)

41%

40%

39%

39%

32%

25%

36%

39%

29%

41%

28%

25%

46%

41%

48%

37%

36%

26%

Overall, social media makes me feel more self-‐conscious about my appearance

Seeing selfies and other fla_ering photos of myself online makes me feel more confident

Seeing pictures other people post of me on social media can make me feel bad about

myself

Social media helps me present my best face to the world

Seeing pictures of other people living glamorous-‐looking lives on social media makes

me feel bad about myself

Social media means I always need to be camera-‐ready


TODAY.com / AOL.com


Base: All Adult Social Media Site Users18+ (n=1815); Adult Males (n=864); Adult Females (n=951)

For teens, the results are even more dramatic. 65% of teen girls say seeing selfies and other flattering photos of themselves on social media “makes me feel more confident” while at the same time 53% say that seeing pictures other people post of them “can make me feel bad about myself” and 59% say that seeing pictures of others living glamorous-looking lives makes them feel bad about themselves. Overall, teenagers, and especially teen girls, are using social media as a tool to put themselves in their best light: when they are in control – posting their selfies – it’s a way to feel confident, but when it’s not in their control – other people posting glamorous shots of their lives – they are vulnerable to feeling bad about themselves.


Q: Would you agree or disagree with the following? (% Agree) Base: All Teen Social Media Site Users 16-17 (n=190); Teen Boys (n=92); Teen Girls

(n=98)

45%

56%

39%

41%

40%

31%

35%

46%

25%

39%

20%

27%

55%

65%

53%

43%

59%

35%

Overall, social media makes me feel more self-‐conscious about my appearance

Seeing selfies and other fla_ering photos of myself online makes me feel more confident

Seeing pictures other people post of me on social media can make me feel bad about

myself

Social media helps me present my best face to the world

Seeing pictures of other people living glamorous-‐looking lives on social media

makes me feel bad about myself

Social media means I always need to be camera-‐ready

All Teens (16-‐17) Teen Boys Teen Girls

TODAY.com / AOL.com


CELEBRITY IMAGES Adults tend to view celebrity images with some perspective: almost half of adults don’t compare themselves to these “seemingly perfect” people, and only a few of those who do feel dissatisfied with their own appearance in comparison. But celebrity images are particularly troubling for teen girls: 80% of teen girls compare themselves to the images they see of celebrities, and among those who do, almost half say it makes them feel dissatisfied with their own appearance.

Source: TODAY/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, February 2014 Q: When you see an image of a celebrity who looks seemingly perfect, how do you feel

about your own body? Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053);


For most of us, the photo-shopping of celebrity images isn’t that big a concern, even if only a few of us are “fans” of this practice. Not surprisingly, teen girls are the most likely to demand “Make it stop!” when asked what they think of these images of pseudo-perfection.

TODAY.com / AOL.com



Q: Overall, how do you feel about the photo-shopping of models and celebrities in magazines?

Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053); All Teens 16-17 (n=200); Teen Boys (n=100); Teen Girls (n=100)

MY MAGIC AGE Most people seem to think their best days are behind them:

Close to half of all adults name an age YOUNGER than their current age when asked when they were most successful

Two thirds of all adults name an age YOUNGER than their current age when asked when they felt best about their body and appearance

Interestingly, both men and women indicated the same “best age” for their body (27 years) and their overall appearance (28). And for all their concern over their own appearance, teen girls don’t seem to think it will get better when they get older: 60% of teen girls say their current age* is when they will feel best about their appearance (74% for teen boys), and 67% of teen girls say their current age is when they will feel best about their body (78% for the very confident teen boys). (* current age recall was defined as +/- 5 years of their actual age)

TODAY.com / AOL.com


Source: TODAY/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, February 2014 Q: At what age did you / do you / will you feel most successful |

best about your body | best about your overall physical appearance? Base: All Adults 18+ (n=2059); Adult Males (n=1006); Adult Females (n=1053);


YOUR IMAGE, MY BODY Many parents worry that their body image issues are impacting their children, though fewer children agree that their parent’s body image has impacted how they feel about themselves. Mothers and young women worry more than fathers and young men:

Moms are significantly more likely than dads to worry about how their body image impacts their kids.

Young women are over two times more likely than young men to feel that a parent’s body image has impacted how they feel about their own bodies.

MA

LE

34 yrs

FEM

ALE

34 yrs

Younger Current Older

46% 37% 16%

Total Adults: 34 years (avg.)

Adult Males Adult Females

Younger 44% 48%

Current 40% 35%

Older 16% 17%

*


66% 30% 4%


Younger 63% 69%

Current 33% 27%

Older 4% 4%

*

Average Age

MA

LE

27 yrs

FEM

ALE

27 yrs

Average Age

Age of Most Success Age Feel Best About Body


66% 30% 4%



66% 30% 4%


Younger 61% 64%

Current 24% 31%

Older 5% 5%

MA

LE

28 yrs

FEM

ALE

28 yrs

Average Age

Age Feel Best About Overall Appearance


62% 32% 5%


TODAY.com / AOL.com



Q: Do you worry about how your own body image impacts your children? Q. Has your parent’s (or caregiver’s) body image impacted the way you feel about your

body? Base: All Parents 18+ (n=792); Dads (n=315); Moms (n=477);

Teens/Young Adults 16-21 (n=359); Males 16-21 (n=182); Females 16-21 (n=177

Moms say they spend more time on their appearance than non-moms (61 minutes daily vs 53, respectively) and worry just a little more about their appearance than women who do not have children.

IT GETS BETTER The good news is that when it comes to appearance, with age comes acceptance, or perspective, or both. People who are 55 or older are half as likely to worry about their appearance as those under the age of 25, and as people get older they spend less time overall on their appearance every day. Older people are also less likely to worry about being judged by others on their appearance. And finally – worrying less about

51% 41%

57%

31% 19%

45%

All Parents 18+ Dads Moms Young Adults (16-‐21)

Males 16-‐21

Females 16-‐21

% parents worried about how body image impacts children

% children stabng that parent’s body image impacts feelings about own body

73% 67%

42%

66% 65% 58%

29%

57%

Regularly worry about appearance

Regularly have negaVve thoughts about appearance

Regularly complain to another about appearance

Worry others are judging my appearance

Moms Non-‐Moms

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appearance may make life better for everyone else: as people age and worry less about their own appearance, they also complain about it less to others.

72% 67%

63%

53%

43%

18-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45-‐54 55+

% Regularly W

orry

Age Group


Adults Worried About Appearance

61% 59% 54%

40% 32%

18-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45-‐54 55+

% Agree

Age Group

Adults Worried About Being Judged on Appearance

53 51

49 47

38

18-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45-‐54 55+

Average Time Spen

t (m

inutes)

Age Group

Time Spent on Appearance

TODAY.com / AOL.com


4.8

4.3 4.4 4.2

3.8

18-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45-‐54 55+

Average # Bo

dy Parts

Age Group

Average # Body Parts Obsessed Over

34% 34% 29%

20% 16%

18-‐24 25-‐34 35-‐44 45-‐54 55+

% Com

plain regularly

Age Group

Adults Who Regularly Complain About Appearance in Past Month

TODAY.com / AOL.com


ABOUT THE STUDY: These survey findings are based on an online survey conducted January 24 – November 31, 2014 among adults 18+ nationwide (N=2,059) and teens 16-17 (n=200). The survey was conducted by Bellomy Research, Inc. Survey quotas were set to reflect Census data for gender, age, and region to ensure representativeness. Assuming no sample bias, the margin of error for the adult sample is ± 1.9% (at the 95% confidence level) and ± 9.8% for the teen sample. The following table outlines the sample composition for this study:

today-aol ideal to real body image survey results_v2[3]

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