Body image, self-esteem, and weight-related criticism from romantic partners

Weight-related criticism from romantic partners and the importance of the romantic relationship were examined in relation to the body image and self-esteem for 116 college freshmen women. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979), the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996), the Weight and Appearance Visual Analogue Scale (Heinberg & Thompson, 1995), the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (Thompson & Gray, 1995), a measure of weight-related criticism from romantic partners (St. Peter, 1997), and a measure of relationship importance. Consistent with the literature, self-esteem and body image were significantly related. Criticism and partner importance accounted for a small amount of the variance in body image. Partner importance also predicted the self-esteem of these young women, whereas criticism did not.