Percepciones sobre la grasa corporal en estudiantes de postgrado de Educacion Fisica

The aim of this paper is to explore body fat perceptions of a group of Physical Education (PE) postgraduate students. Seven postgraduate students from an Australian university participated in the project. A Foucauldian theoretical framework was used, particularly his concepts of discourse and Panopticon. Collective biographies were used for data collection. Results revel how significant others (e.g., parents, friends and partners) may act as Panopticon in participants' bodies. While these significant others surveil students' bodies at first instance, this is frequently changed to self-surveillance, and therefore, participants learn how to discipline their own bodies to try to achieve a specific body type. Results from this study have significant implications given that this group of postgraduate PE students will soon work with students or clients, and it has been demonstrated how they can transfer their own body and body fat perceptions to others.