Representations of female body weight in the media: An update of Playboy magazine from 2000 to 2014

- We examined the body mass index (BMI) of Playboy models from 2000 to 2014.
- BMI increased during most of this period with 95% of the models nearly equally divided between normal weight (42%) and mildly thin (53%).
- Female standards of beauty, as represented in Playboy, appear to be moving away from excessive thinness.

Most content analyzes of Playboy magazine have reported a trend toward increased thinness over time. However, recent research suggests that this trend may be reversing. The current study updates this research by examining changes in the body mass index (BMI) of Playboy models from 2000 to 2014. Results revealed that the average model BMI increased during most of this period with 95% of models now possessing BMIs that are either normal weight or only slightly underweight.