Dove finds toxic beauty ideals are fuelling a multi-billion dollar public health crisis

05 Oct 2022 --- Body dissatisfaction and appearance-based discrimination is feeding a multi-billion dollar public health crisis that disproportionately impacts women and girls starting as young as ten years old, reveals the Dove Self-Esteem Project commissioned report titled, “The Real Cost of Beauty Ideals.”

The study estimates toxic beauty ideals cost the US economy US$305 billion due to body dissatisfaction and US$501 billion due to appearance-based discrimination in 2019. Economic costs of US$84 billion and loss of well-being are estimated at US$221 billion due to depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, smoking, eating disorders and alcohol and drug abuse.

The study was conducted in consultation with Dr. S. Bryn Austin, founding director of the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Public Health Incubator (STRIPED) at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.

“Until our study, we had no idea how broad reaching and enormous the impacts are on our economy. By our estimates, hundreds of billions of dollars are being squandered in our economy every year,” says Dr. Austin highlighting the need to change societal constructs related to beauty standards.

“The harmful beauty ideals perpetuated in media, advertising and our social media feeds every day are negatively impacting the quality of life for women and girls, and we must take action to change this,” says Alessandro Manfredi, CMO at Dove.

The study estimates toxic beauty ideals cost the US economy billions due to body dissatisfaction and appearance-based discrimination. (Credit: Dove)Findings from the report
Every year, harmful beauty ideals result in “astronomical costs” to the US economy and society, according to the report.

Moreover, US$501 billion costs incurred due to appearance-based discrimination based on skin shade and body size. 

Economic costs based on health outcomes, labor market outcomes, other life outcomes (e.g., incarceration) and loss of well-being were valued at US$269 billion. Also, anxiety, depression, drug abuse, smoking and hypertension incurred US$233 billion.

Weight discrimination affected 34 million people and incurred US$206 billion in financial costs, whereas skin shade discrimination affected 23 million people and incurred US$63 billion in financial costs.

Natural hair discrimination affected 5 million people, with Black women being 3.4 times more likely to be perceived as “unprofessional” due to their hair when compared to non-Black women.

The costs are based on attempts of achieving the desired look to meet the high level of social beauty standards.

Commitments against discrimination
The Dove Self-Esteem Project, initiated in 2004, is working alongside like-minded individuals, experts, and organizations to combat the complex influences that lead to body dissatisfaction and appearance-based discrimination. As part of this, Dove supports a series of programs and commitments.

The project claims to have reached over 82 million young people across 150 countries with no-cost tools, making it the “largest provider of body confidence education globally.”

As part of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, tools to address appearance bias and discrimination have been introduced. The “Confident Me Appearance Discrimination Extension Lesson” is one tool designed to help educators and mentors teach young people about appearance-based discrimination, such as sizeism, ableism and colorism.

“My Hair, My CROWN” is another toolkit to boost hair confidence in kids with coils, curls, waves and protective styles, as well as build allyship in others to “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.”

Through Project #ShowUs, Dove created a global collection of inclusive beauty images for the media to use. Since launching in 2019, the image bank has grown to include more than 14,000 photos and over 2,500 companies have used images from the collection.

Additionally, findings from ‘The Real Cost of Beauty Ideals’ report are currently being used to support legislation to end body size discrimination in New York and Massachusetts.

Edited by Radhika Sikaria