Final answer:
In late adulthood, women tend to express lower body esteem compared to men due to societal gender roles, healthcare biases, and negative stereotypes in mass media.
Step-by-step explanation:
In late adulthood, women tend to express lower body esteem compared to men. This can be attributed to several factors, including societal gender roles, healthcare biases, and negative stereotypes portrayed in mass media.
One factor that contributes to lower body esteem in elderly women is the long-standing social gender roles. For example, women often perform unpaid labor at home, which is not recognized or rewarded by programs like Social Security. Additionally, healthcare concerns of elderly women are sometimes trivialized or labeled as psychosomatic, leading to a diminished sense of self-worth.
Another factor is the portrayal of elderly females in mass media. They are often depicted in negative stereotypes and as less successful than older men, reinforcing feelings of low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction.