Body Image and the Asian Experience

Contrary to the model minority popular belief in the U.S., Asian Americans experience significant body image concerns and related disordered eating and mental health challenges. Asian diasporas in Western countries also face similar challenges to Asian Americans (e.g., racialized and objectified views of Asians). Asians in Asia, on the other hand, are joggling between their collective/national standards of beauty/fitness and the body-image ideals propagated through commercialism and capitalization. Body Image and the Asian Experience: Asians, Asian Americans, and Asian Diasporas Across the Globe discusses the lack of knowledge and misinformation about body image for people of Asian descent, including Asian nationals dwelling in Asia and those in the diaspora (Asian Americans, Asian immigrants in the UK, Australia, etc.). The first section reviews the past and current theories of body image, specifically for people of Asian descent. The next section presents the current research on body image an Asian Americans and Asians around the globe, including specific demographic and social identity groups. The last section examines practical implications in the aspects of mental health, interpersonal and social relationships, and identity development as informed by body image issues. Examines body image of individuals of Asian descent from existing major theories of body image Identifies factors critical to understanding body image issues among sexual and gender minority males of Asian descent Reviews concerns related to body image including mental health, relationships with others, and sense of self