--- title: Does body dissatisfaction change across the menstrual cycle? | Niyora description: Body dissatisfaction was significantly higher during premenstrual and menstrual phases. However, actual perception of body size did not change across the cycl url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/body-image-perception-and-dissatisfaction-throughout-phases-of-the-female-2009/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does body dissatisfaction change across the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2009 # Does body dissatisfaction change across the menstrual cycle? Body dissatisfaction was significantly higher during premenstrual and menstrual phases. However, actual perception of body size did not change across the cycle. Early or limited evidence 30 women with mean age 23.3 years and no eating disorders ## What they did Pilot study of 30 women (mean age 23.3 years, no eating disorders). Participants viewed digital images of their bodies and made judgments about body size, ideal size, and satisfaction during premenstrual, intermenstrual, and menstrual phases. ## What they found Participants wanted a smaller body size in all phases. Body dissatisfaction was significantly greater during premenstrual and menstrual phases. The menstrual cycle was not associated with changes in actual body-size perception, ideal size judgments, or detection of body-size changes. ## What it means for you Women feel worse about their bodies during certain cycle phases, even though their body has not changed. This is a small pilot study that needs confirmation in larger studies. 30 women studied 23.3 years mean age pre-, menstrual phases with greater dissatisfaction ## About the study Original title Body-image perception and dissatisfaction throughout phases of the female menstrual cycle Authors Jappe LM, Gardner RM Journal Perceptual and motor skills Year 2009 Study design Survey study What was tested Observation of body-image across menstrual cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.2466/pms.108.1.74-80](https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.108.1.74-80) ## Topics [Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2018 Does what or how adolescents eat matter for PMS? Case-control study, 2010 Do women with PMDD crave high-sugar and high-fat foods more than other women? Case-control study, 2006 Are irregular menstrual cycles linked to eating disorder risk in female athletes? Case-control study, 2000 Do eating habits change differently before the period in obese versus non-obese women? Survey study, 2026 Do women with severe PMS symptoms have higher odds of eating disorders? Survey study, 2026 Is PMS linked to body fat percentage and eating disorder risk? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗