The Ideal Female Body Throughout History

Since publishing this video, I’ve come across a few areas where more context was needed: Corsets – I focused primarily on the negative effects, based on the sources I had at the time (The Feminine Ideal - Book by Marianne Thesander). In hindsight, I should’ve included that many women supported corset use, and it wasn’t inherently harmful for everyone. Japanese teeth blackening, I framed it as a cosmetic beauty trend, but it was also done for protective reasons. Appreciate those of you who pointed this out. I’m always aiming to improve the accuracy and nuance of my content. In this video, we're taking a deep dive into the 'ideal' female body through the ages — from ancient Greek Goddesses to Hollywood icons, fitness influencers, and the body positivity trend. Ever wonder why we aspire to look like certain celebrities, yet forget about past body ideals? Hopefully by understanding some of these trends we can make predictions for the future and set better fitness goals. 00:00 The Ideal Female Body Throughout History 00:21 Paleolithic Era 00:50 Ancient Egypt 01:36 Ancient Greece 04:06 The Golden Lotus Trend 04:49 Victorian Era 06:20 The Gibson Girl 07:12 The Flappers 07:56 The Great Depression 08:44 Hourglass Figure 09:47 The Swinging Sixties 10:40 Freedom & Fitness 11:09 The Fitness Craze 11:52 The Super-Model 12:26 Waif Look 12:58 Y2K 13:26 Influencer Era 14:04 Present Day 15:03 The Future