Somatotypes revisited: have the media changed our perception of the female body image?

234 university students were given a questionnaire examining the relation between certain behavioral characteristics and female body-build somatotypes. Analysis confirmed previous findings that stereotypical images continue to exist for the mesomorph and endomorph body types, with favorable characteristics attributed to the mesomorph and unfavorable to the endomorph. Contrary to previous findings, the ectomorph, or thin body build was associated with positive characteristics such as being the most attractive, having the most dates, and exercising the most. The young women also chose this body build as the image they would like to be. These findings appear to confirm preoccupation with thinness and fitness observed among college women and thought to be promoted by the media.