Why Do Women Still Feel More Pressured to Look Good?

People often wonder if women and men feel the same pressure to focus on their looks. A big study looked at 78 research projects with over 74, 000 people from 16 different countries. The results showed that women still feel this pressure more than men. This gap was bigger when using certain types of measurements, like how much people watch their bodies. Interestingly, the gap was even bigger in countries where women have more rights and opportunities. This might seem strange, but it shows that progress doesn't always mean less pressure to look a certain way. The study also found that other factors, like cultural values or age, didn't change this pattern much. So, why does this happen? One reason could be that societies with more gender equality might have higher standards for how women should look. This could make women feel more pressure to meet these standards. The study suggests that we need better ways to measure and understand this issue in different cultures. It's important to think about why this happens and how we can create a world where people feel less pressure to look a certain way. Maybe we should focus more on inner qualities than outer appearances.