Abstract

Research on the relation between self-esteem and body self-esteem is mainly concentrated on adolescents (see van den Berg et al., 2010) and it has been already proved that general self-image is correlated with feelings about your own body, resulting in functional or dysfunctional behaviors: as, for example, withdrawal from the social interactions, eating disorders and depression (Orenstein, 2013). Generally speaking, women proved to be more critical with their own body and the relation between self-esteem and body self-esteem is particularly strong in the case of women (Slater & Tiggemann, 2011). Still, few studies have approached the topic on the normal adult population and studies regarding the relation between self-esteem and body self-esteem on elders are scarce. Taking into account that our bodies face degradation with age and there are numerous modern techniques trying to help us appear young as we get older, it becomes particularly relevant to study the relation between self-esteem and body-esteem in the case of elders. Using a convenience sample (N = 53) of people over 60 years of age, we test the relationship between self-esteem and body self-esteem, showing also gender differences. The study is particularly relevant in the current discussion of the way media is shaping our body image by pressuring individuals to keep their body look young, sexy, taut and fit for a long time.