Professional Documents
Culture Documents
O
ne of the most remarkable and consistent research findings
is the overwhelming prevalence of weight and shape-related
concerns among adolescents. Estimates from community samples
evaluate their bodies. Western
culture currently endorses an
ultra-thin figure for women and
of adolescents suggest that as many as 46% of girls and 26% of boys a lean, muscular one for men.
report significant distress about their body size and shape, while Pressure to conform to these
only 12% of girls and 17% of boys indicate that they are satisfied ideals is evident in messages
with their body shape (Neumark-Sztainer, Story, Hannan, Perry, from the media, parents, and
&Irving, 2002; Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2001). In fact, body peers. As these ideals become
dissatisfaction has become so commonplace in Western culture increasingly difficult to attain, a
that it has been termed a normative discontent (Rodin, Silberstein, sense of dissatisfaction often develops
& Striegel-Moore, 1985). This is especially troubling because, at in those who place high importance
the upper end of the continuum, body dissatisfaction is associated onachieving them. Historically,
with high levels of subjective distress, unhealthy weight control there has been greater sociocultural emphasis on appearance and
behaviors, and extreme methods of altering appearance, such as thinness for females, and research indicates consistently higher
cosmetic surgery and steroid use (Neumark-Sztainer, Paxton, rates of body dissatisfaction among females in relation to males
Hannan, Haines, & Story, 2006). (Thompson et al., 1999). However, body dissatisfaction is also a
Body image is a broad term comprised of an individuals internal substantial concern among adolescent boys. Adolescent boys are
perceptions, thoughts, and evaluation of their outward physical morelikely than girls to engage in behaviors to increase weight
appearance. Body dissatisfaction is one component of body image, and musculature, and there is evidence that boys are divided
and refers to the subjective negative evaluation of some aspect ones between those who desire to lose weight and those who wish to
physical appearance (Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, gain weight and musculature
1999). Body dissatisfaction has been consistently shown to place As many as 46% of girls (e.g., Neumark-Sztainer et al.,
adolescents at increased risk for the development and maintenance and 26% of boys report 1999). Thus, there may be two
pathways to body dissatisfaction
of disordered eating (Stice & Shaw, 2002), since strategies such as
extreme dietary restriction or compensatory measures may be significant distress about among boysweight concerns
used in an attempt to alter weight and shape. Moreover, body their body size and shape. and muscularity concerns
whereas girls consistently report
image concerns are often resistant to change duringtreatment
for eating disorders, and persistent body image disturbances are a desire to be thinner. Regardless
associated with relapse in anorexia and bulimia nervosa (Keel, of gender, however, failure to attain a highly-valued ideal has been
Dorer, Franko, Jackson, & Herzog, 2005). Body dissatisfaction is shown to lead to body dissatisfaction (Jones, 2004).
also a strong predictor of depressed mood and low self-esteem among Differences in Ideals Across Cultures
adolescents (Paxton, Neumark-Sztainer, Hannan, & Eisenberg, 2006). There is some evidence that beauty ideals and body dissatisfaction
The negative impact of body dissatisfaction on a range of psychological vary among cultural or ethnic groups. Ethnic groups that place
problems underscores the need to explore factors that contribute greater emphasis on thinness tend to have higher levels of body
to its development. Recent research also suggests that reducing dissatisfaction, particularly as obesity rates rise. For example,
body dissatisfaction may be successful inpreventing the onset of African American girls generally endorse a larger body ideal and
depression and eating pathology (Bearman, Stice, & Chase, 2003). report greater body satisfaction than Caucasian girls (Perez & Joiner,
Adolescence is a critical developmental period, bringing numerous 2003). However, recent research indicates that this gap in body
physical changes, social challenges, and role transitions that dissatisfaction may be decreasing, and that the most pronounced
increase vulnerability to body dissatisfaction. Theories of the disparity occurs during the college-age years (Roberts, Cash, Feingold,
development of body dissatisfaction highlight multiple & Johnson, 2006). Other research also suggests few differences in
contributing factors, including individual, familial, peer, and body dissatisfaction among African American, Asian American, and
sociocultural influences. This article will highlight factors that Hispanic women (Grabe & Hyde, 2006). Moreover, ethnic status
influence the development of body dissatisfaction during failed to moderate the relation between body dissatisfaction and
adolescence, and consider protective factors that may decrease depression for girls, suggesting that regardless of ethnic identity,
adolescents risk of body image concerns. Understanding the dissatisfaction with ones body increases the risk of depression
mechanisms that link these factors to body dissatisfaction can (Siegel, 2002).
help guide the development of effective prevention interventions. Media Influences
Use of media that conveys messages about body ideals is consistently
Sociocultural Influences associated with greater body dissatisfaction, and experimental
Ideal-body Internalization exposure to images portraying the thin-ideal result in moderate
Beauty standards that aresanctioned by an individuals culture decreases in self-esteem and increases in body dissatisfaction among
are hypothesized to influence how individuals perceive and females (e.g., Stice & Shaw, 1994). Some evidence suggests that media
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