Cuerpo y percepción en una zona rural de México: ¿una preocupación solo de mujeres o también de hombres?

Introduction: This paper is part of a food and gender research study where the body is seen as a social construct. Concern about the body, body image and food has become a problem, especially for urban women. However, there is little information on what happens to men and women in rural areas of Mexico. Objectives: To investigate how women and men in rural areas perceive their bodies, how they want to look like and what their traditional knowledge about food is. Methodology: In a rural community in the State of Mexico, 19 men and 30 women were surveyed, measured and weighed. They selected 9 pictures, according to their selfperception and their desired figure. Results: There were certain sex differences in body perception: men perceived themselves as thinner and some women perceived themselves as overweight. Both groups wish to be thinner. There is more alteration in male self-perception. There are no gender differences in traditional knowledge about food, body and health. Conclusion: More research is needed on altered body self-perception which may lead to high-risk eating practices in rural environments, so that prevention and treatment can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]