INTERNALIZATION OF THE THIN IDEAL, WEIGHT AND BODY IMAGE CONCERNS

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Graff Low ◽  
Swita Charanasomboon ◽  
Claire Brown ◽  
Gwen Hiltunen ◽  
Katherine Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
College Women ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Thin Ideal ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Weight Concerns ◽  
Overweight Women ◽  
School Year ◽  
Body Image Concerns

Weight and shape concerns in college women are epidemic. Understanding the role of the thin ideal in the development of such concerns is critical for designing prevention programs. This study examines the association between the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ; Heinberg, Thompson, & Stormer, 1995), a measure of internalization and awareness of the thin ideal, and eating and body image concerns in college women. Seventy undergraduates completed questionnaires on eating symptomatology, body image and demographics. In general, inernalization, but not awareness, of the thin ideal was associated with eating and weight concerns. In two-way analysis of body mass and dichotomized SATAQ internalization scores, body mass moderated the effects of internalization, with overweight women high in internalization having the most body image concerns. Prospectively, SATAQ-internalization scores predicted increasing drive for thinness over the school year in a subsample of women. Future research should explore the moderating effects of weight on outcomes related to internalization of the thin ideal.

scholarly journals Protective and Risk Factors in Exercise Addiction: A Series of Moderated Mediation Analyses

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9706
Author(s):  
Alessio Gori ◽  
Eleonora Topino ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Exercise Addiction ◽  
Body Image Concerns

For a minority of individuals, exercise may become excessive and lead to an addictive behaviour. To better understand the processes by which exercise could become an addiction, the present study examined the risk and protective factors of exercise addiction among regular exercisers, by investigating the role of drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, body image concerns, and self-esteem. A sample of 319 Italian regular exercisers (Mage = 30.78 years, SD = 11.98) completed the Italian versions of the Exercise Addiction Inventory, Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral Form, Body Image Concern Inventory, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Data were analyzed by implementing a series of moderated mediations. Drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction were positively associated with exercise addiction. An indirect path was found in each of these relationships, which included the mediation of body image concerns, as well as a significant moderation of self-esteem in the associations between drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, and the mediator. High self-esteem appeared to be a protective factor. The higher the level of self-esteem, the less indirect the effects of thinness drive, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, and body image concerns were on exercise addiction. Such findings contribute to a better understanding concerning the risk and protective factors of excessive exercise, and may have important practical implications in structuring interventions to reduce risk of developing exercise addiction, as well as orienting future research.

scholarly journals The Perfect Storm: A Developmental–Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls’ Body Image Concerns and Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Choukas-Bradley ◽  
Savannah Roberts ◽  
Anne J. Maheux ◽  
Jacqueline Nesi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Physical Appearance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Perfect Storm

In this theoretical review paper, we provide a developmental–sociocultural framework for the role of social media (SM) in contributing to adolescent girls’ body image concerns, and in turn, depressive symptoms and disordered eating. We propose that the features of SM (e.g., idealized images of peers, quantifiable feedback) intersect with adolescent developmental factors (e.g., salience of peer relationships) and sociocultural gender socialization processes (e.g., societal over-emphasis on girls’ and women’s physical appearance) to create the “perfect storm” for exacerbating girls’ body image concerns. We argue that, ultimately, body image concerns may be a key mechanism underlying associations between adolescent girls’ SM use and mental health. In the context of proposing this framework, we provide empirical evidence for how SM may increase adolescent girls’ body image concerns through heightening their focus on: (1) other people’s physical appearance (e.g., through exposure to idealized images of peers, celebrities, and SM influencers; quantifiable indicators of approval); and (2) their own appearance (e.g., through appearance-related SM consciousness; exposure to one’s own image; encouraging over-valuing of appearance; and peer approval of photos/videos). Our framework highlights new avenues for future research on adolescent girls’ SM use and mental health, which recognize the central role of body image.

scholarly journals Disentangling the contributions of agentic, antagonistic, and neurotic narcissism to drive for thinness and drive for muscularity

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253187
Author(s):  
Leonie Hater ◽  
Johanna Schulte ◽  
Katharina Geukes ◽  
Ulrike Buhlmann ◽  
Mitja D. Back
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Drive For Muscularity ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Muscular Ideal ◽  
Future Work

Body image concerns revolving around body ideals (thin ideal, muscular ideal) are widespread among women. Whereas a stronger preoccupation with ideal physical appearance is often assumed for narcissistic women, previous empirical findings have been mixed. Following a tripartite structure of agentic, antagonistic, and neurotic narcissism facets, we reexamined whether trait narcissism predicted drive for thinness and drive for muscularity. We further explored the role of importance of appearance as a mediator and moderator of the relation between narcissism and body image concerns. Latent structural equation modeling was applied to self-report data from two independent nonclinical female samples (NSample1 = 224, NSample2 = 342). Results underlined the importance of distinguishing between narcissism facets: Neurotic (but not agentic or antagonistic) narcissism uniquely predicted drive for thinness and drive for muscularity. Importance of appearance mediated but did not robustly moderate these relations. Hence, neurotic narcissistic women (characterized by hypersensitivity, shame, and a fragile self-esteem) are particularly prone to body image concerns. This vulnerability seems partly driven by how much importance they ascribe to their appearance. Future work might build on these insights to further unravel the processes linking neurotic narcissism to body image concerns and how these can be targeted in practical interventions.

scholarly journals Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 540-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Germine H. Awad ◽  
Carolette Norwood ◽  
Desire S. Taylor ◽  
Mercedes Martinez ◽  
Shannon McClain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
African American ◽  
College Women ◽  
Body Image Concerns

scholarly journals Can Parental Body Dissatisfaction Predict That of Children? A Study on Body Dissatisfaction, Body Mass Index, and Desire to Diet in Children Aged 9–11 and Their Families

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Solano-Pinto ◽  
Yolanda Sevilla-Vera ◽  
Raquel Fernández-Cézar ◽  
Dunia Garrido
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Drive For Muscularity ◽  
Healthy Habits

Body image has been associated with self-care and the assumption of either healthy habits or poor diets and eating disorders. As a vital element in the formation of a positive body image, the role of the family in childhood has been highlighted by a few studies. This study aimed to assess whether children’s body dissatisfaction could be predicted by their parents’ body dissatisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and approach to change. The sample consisted of 581 participants (366 parents and 215 children). The following instruments were used: anthropometric data, the Brief Scale of Body Dissatisfaction for Children, the IMAGE questionnaire (approach to change and drive for muscularity subscales), and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness subscales). The results indicated that 19% of children, 22.8% of mothers, and 70.2% of fathers were overweight or obese. The multiple regression models developed for boys and girls explained 60 and 57% of the variance in body dissatisfaction, respectively. Several variables attributable to the mother (higher approach to change, higher drive for thinness, and higher BMI) and to the boys themselves (drive for muscularity, approach to change, and having a high BMI percentile) predicted a higher level of body dissatisfaction. For girls, only variables regarding themselves (approach to change, age, and BMI percentile) explained their body dissatisfaction. Relationships with the traits of the father were not detected for both models. The influence of sociocultural factors on the construction of gender and the negative consequences of mothers’ dieting for aesthetic purposes, on the development of children’s body image, are discussed.

Disentangling the Contributions of Agentic, Antagonistic, and Neurotic Narcissism to Drive for Thinness and Drive for Muscularity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Hater ◽  
Johanna Schulte ◽  
Katharina Geukes ◽  
Ulrike Buhlmann ◽  
Mitja Back
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Drive For Muscularity ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Muscular Ideal ◽  
Future Work

Body image concerns revolving around body ideals (thin ideal, muscular ideal) are widespread among women. Whereas a stronger preoccupation with ideal physical appearance is often assumed for narcissistic women, previous empirical findings have been mixed. Following a tripartite structure of agentic, antagonistic, and neurotic narcissism facets, we reexamined whether trait narcissism predicted drive for thinness and drive for muscularity. We further explored the role of importance of appearance as a mediator and moderator of the relation between narcissism and body image concerns. Latent structural equation modeling was applied to self-report data from two independent nonclinical female samples (NSample1 = 224, NSample2 = 342). Results underlined the importance of distinguishing between narcissism facets: Neurotic (but not agentic or antagonistic) narcissism uniquely predicted drive for thinness and drive for muscularity. Importance of appearance mediated but did not robustly moderate these relations. Hence, neurotic narcissistic women (characterized by hypersensitivity, shame, and a fragile self-esteem) are particularly prone to body image concerns. This vulnerability seems partly driven by how much importance they ascribe to their appearance. Future work might build on these insights to further unravel the processes linking neurotic narcissism to body image concerns and how these can be targeted in practical interventions.

Eating Disorders and Body Image Concerns in Men of Color: Cultural Considerations

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-123
Author(s):  
Laurel Stewardson ◽  
Jessica Nolan ◽  
Regine Talleyrand
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Body Image ◽  
White Women ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Contextual Risk ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Men With Eating Disorders

Research on eating disorders and body-image concerns has traditionally focused on White women and girls. Only a few studies have addressed the specific needs of racially and ethnically diverse men with eating disorders. This article reviews and presents research findings on contextual risk factors that contribute to eating disorders and body-image concerns in men and boys. First, important race- and ethnicity-related factors such as racial identity, acculturation, and experiences of discrimination are briefly discussed. Risk factors relevant for this population, including race-related factors, visual and social media, sexual orientation, muscularity, weight and obesity, and substance abuse, are then explored. Finally, implications for service providers and areas for future research are identified.

scholarly journals Body Image Concerns and Body Weight Overestimation Do Not Promote Healthy Behaviour: Evidence from Adolescents in Lithuania

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasa Jankauskiene ◽  
Migle Baceviciene
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Body Image Concerns ◽  
Healthy Behaviour

The present study aimed to explore the associations between body image concerns, body weight evaluation, disordered eating, nutrition habits, self-esteem, and physical activity (PA) in a mixed sample of adolescents of both genders. Methods. A total sample of 579 adolescents (299, 51.6% were girls) participated in this study. The participants ranged in age from 14–16 years old (M = 15.0, SD = 0.4). Respondents provided their answers filling in the questionnaires consisting of a battery of self-report questionnaires. An analysis of covariance was employed to test the hypothesis about the differences in body image concerns in the groups of BMI and body weight estimation controlling for gender. Results. Adolescents with a higher body mass index (BMI) and those overestimating body weight reported a higher body dissatisfaction (BD), a drive for thinness (DT), social physique anxiety (SPA), disordered eating, and lower self-esteem, but there were no differences in PA. Body weight overestimation was more prevalent in girls, yet body weight underestimation was more prevalent in boys. In girls, a higher BMI and body weight overestimation were associated with having less sweets, a lower frequency of having breakfast and for just a lower BMI alone—with consuming less fats, spreads, and oils. In boys, the BMI was associated with consuming less fruits and berries. The boys’ body weight overestimation was related to a lower reported number of meals, a lower frequency of breakfast, and a lower consumption of milk, cheese, yogurt, fats, spreads, and oils. Body dissatisfaction in boys and girls was negatively related to the number of meals, DT is related to a lower breakfast consumption (in girls), SPA was related to a lower nutrition score (in boys), the number of meals (boys and girls), and a lower use of meat and vegetables (boys). Conclusions. Adolescents with a higher BMI and body weight overestimation demonstrated higher body image concerns, lower self-esteem and a poorer eating-related behavioural profile. Body image concerns and body weight overestimation did not promote healthy behaviour in adolescents. It is critical to promote a positive body image, adequate body weight evaluation, self-esteem, and a healthy lifestyle in health promotion and health education programs for adolescents of both genders and different BMIs.

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