The article presents models of body perception by different gender and age groups. Body perception is considered as a multidimensional construct, the authors dwell on effective-cognitive structures, as well as individuals’ self-perception of their own body, conducted through the prism of its aesthetic attractiveness and functionality. The main purpose of the study was to empirically conceptualize models of body perception. Using the method of online questionnaire survey 1077 city dwellers aged 18 to 60 living in the Sverdlovsk region were interviewed. The paper argues that modern perceptions of the body are stereotyped: women’s bodies are prescribed attractiveness, and men’s bodies are prescribed physical strength. Respondents demonstrate the greatest sensitivity to external beauty in marital relations, and to the endurance and vitality of the body - in professional and labor activity and household sphere. The study showed a high degree of satisfaction with the body of the respondents and its compliance with the existing standards; the obtained data revealed the orientation to the functional properties of the body when choosing a body for themselves. Based on the conducted factor analysis, two models of respondents’ perception of the body were formed: the body as an aesthetic product and the body as a functional product. The first model has two varieties: those who are confident in their attractiveness and those who are unsure of it, dependent on the opinion of others. It has been revealed that women’s assessment of the aesthetics of their own body decreases with age, while men’s maximum satisfaction with their appearance falls between 31 and 45 years of age. It has been determined that women of all age groups are oriented to external feedback compared to men, in whom the peak of dependence on the environment in the evaluation of their own body falls on 31-45-year-olds. The perception of the body as hardy and resilient is demonstrated by both middle-aged men and women. The article notes that the models of body perception are not limited to the types identified in the study and require further study and sociological understanding.