Normas, Representa es Sociais e Práticas Corporais

The social representations theory is used to comprehend the social thinking about the body and the behaviors related to it. In this research, 443 college students participated, men and women, from the capital and country side of Santa Catarina. A survey was used for gathering data, and categorical analyses, descriptive and relational statistics, and factorial correspondence analyses were used. The results suggest: inconsistency between Body Mass Index (BMI) and body satisfaction; differences between men and women on body satisfaction and body practices; a normalized body representation between younger women and social mediation in the evaluation of body adequacy; and the importance of the body for the younger participants' interpersonal relations.