Do you see what I see?: An exploration of inter-ethnic ideal body size comparisons among college women

• Ideal body size may be shifting among ethnically-diverse college women.
• African American (AA) and European American (EA) women completed focus groups.
• AA women discussed EA women's ideal body size using extreme terms and examples.
• EA women saw AA women as accepting of diverse body sizes in part due to AA men.
• Findings have implications for enhancing the well-being of diverse college women.

The present study explored African American (n = 16) and European American (n = 19) college women's ideal body size perceptions for their own and the other ethnic group along with reasons behind their selections. Respondents completed an ethnically-neutral figure rating scale and then participated in ethnically-homogenous focus groups. European Americans mostly preferred a curvy-thin or athletic ideal body while most African American students resisted notions of a singular ideal body. European Americans suggested that African Americans’ larger ideal body sizes were based on greater body acceptance and the preferences of African American men. African Americans used extreme terms when discussing their perceptions of European Americans’ thin idealization, celebrity role models, and weight management behaviors. African Americans’ perceptions of European Americans’ body dissatisfaction were also attributed to the frequent fat talk they engaged in. Implications for promoting the psychosocial well-being of ethnically-diverse emerging adult females attending college are discussed.