Research has shown a link between body dissatisfaction and wellbeing, and ageing causes changes to the body that can be challenging. The authors of the Journal of Health Psychology article, "Looking age-appropriate while growing old gracefully: a qualitative study of ageing and body image among older adults" lament the lack of evidence on the effect of body image among older people.
In this study, six focus groups were conducted with people aged between 65-92. Four themes emerged: the belief that appearance is an indication of capability and identity; that physical ability is more important than appearance; that there are pressures to age 'gracefully'; and that there are cultural and gender differences and implications. The findings indicated that body image for this age group can have a significant bearing on wellbeing and that further research on the subject is needed.
Jankowski GS, Diedrichs PC, Williamson H,
Christopher G, Harcourt D. Journal of Health Psychology, doi:
10.1177/1359105314531468 (2014). Free online.
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