BODY REPRESENTATION AMONG YOUNG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: BEAUTY, HEALTH AND DISSATISFACTION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF A BODY-SHOWCASE

Abstract

The body, in the contemporaneity, assumes a central position in human life acting as mediator in social relations, impacting on the acceptance of the subjects by other individuals who share the same social environment. This study sought to understand the experiences reported by university students coming from the representations of the body focusing, especially, on the perception of body self-image and the meanings attributed to the body. Twenty-two individuals aged 18 to 27 years participated in this study. The analysis of the data was done using the technique of content analysis, according to Bardin. The results indicated the perception of the body as an investment object, which is done through dietary control and physical activity aiming at the adaptation to culturally valued body patterns.