Emerging adulthood is a distinct developmental period between the ages of 18-25 (Arnett, 2000). Due to changing economic and social trends, emerging adults in the twenty first century are getting married later and obtaining higher levels of education than previous generations. Arnett (2000) argues these sociocultural changes create a unique and distinct age group between adolescences and adulthood. Emerging adults are the focus of this current study as this developmental period is fraught with new challenges and body image threats.
