Here’s a startling truth: the way society judges men and women’s bodies is shockingly different—and it starts far earlier than you might think. But here’s where it gets controversial: while we often talk about gender equality, the psychological toll of these double standards remains deeply uneven. Clinical psychologist Dr. Amanda Hanson decided to uncover this disparity firsthand by conducting a simple yet revealing experiment. Armed with a camera, she took to the streets to ask both men and women the same question: When was the first time someone made a negative comment about your body? The responses, shared on her Instagram reel (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM70SGqOW1E/), paint a stark picture of how gender shapes our experiences.
For women, the question hit hard. Many recalled specific moments from childhood—one woman remembered being as young as seven, while another mentioned first or second grade. These weren’t vague memories; they were vivid, emotional, and deeply ingrained. And this is the part most people miss: every single woman Dr. Hanson spoke to could pinpoint that first hurtful comment. For men, however, the story was strikingly different. Most struggled to recall any such instance, with answers like “no” or “I don’t remember.” Only four men could identify a specific moment, often tied to adulthood or unique physical traits, like the size of their ears.
But it doesn’t end there. Dr. Hanson followed up with another question: Have you been able to forget those comments? Women’s responses were raw and revealing. One shared, “I remember it vividly—who said it, where we were. It’s stuck with me all these years.” Men, on the other hand, often brushed it off, like one man who said, “It didn’t really bother me, but it just is what it is.”
This experiment isn’t just about memories—it’s about the cultural pressures that shape us. An AARP survey (https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/beauty-style/women-beauty-standards/) found that 71% of women feel judged primarily on their appearance, while a BBC report (https://www.bbc.com/news/education-37543769) highlighted that girls as young as seven face “intense and unobtainable” beauty standards. Meanwhile, men aren’t immune to self-esteem struggles—gender stereotypes often push them to project masculinity, as Beth Arky notes for the Child Mind Institute (https://childmind.org/article/how-to-build-boys-self-confidence/). But the pressure to look a certain way? That’s a burden women carry uniquely, and from a shockingly young age.
Here’s the bold question: Is society’s obsession with women’s bodies a form of silent conditioning? Dr. Hanson’s work doesn’t just highlight a disparity—it invites us to question why we accept this as normal. What do you think? Is this a conversation we’re ready to have, or is it too uncomfortable to confront? Let’s discuss in the comments.
