User:Dilemmakf/sandbox

The Thin Ideal is an extremely slim female body that is presented as something to aspire to. The common perception of this ideal is that of a slender, feminine physique with a small waist and little body fat. Many theorists believe that the ultra-thin images in the media play a significant part in the influence of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and internalization of the thin ideal. The size of the thin ideal is decreasing while the rate of female obesity is simultaneously increasing, making this iconic body difficult for women to maintain. This creates a gap between the actual appearance of an average woman’s body and its expected appearance that, depending on the extent to which the ideal is internalized, may have serious psychological effects.

Media
The thin ideal in mass media, including print, movies, and television, is widespread. The standard media-portrayed thin ideal woman is about 15% below the average female body weight. The majority of protagonists in media are thin, exceptionally beautiful, desirable, and successful. 94% of females on television are thinner than average American women. More than 75% of women’s magazines include at least one ad or article about how females should change their physical appearance through diet, exercise, or cosmetic surgery. The analyses of images in women's magazines observed from 1901 to 1980 and from 1959 to 1999 show that the featured models have become thinner over time, making the thin ideal even more difficult to achieve. Top modeling and fashion industries often embrace the ultra-thin appearance as well. A majority of elite models are approximately 20% underweight, exceeding the anorexia nervosa indicator of 15% underweight. Additional thinning of models using photo manipulation adds to the unattainable and unrealistic idea of the thin ideal. A study by Mia Sypeck of The American University’s Department of Psychology examined the covers of the four most popular fashion magazines over the last fifty years. Several trends were discovered. Firstly, the body size of fashion models decreased significantly. Secondly, there was a substantial increase of pictures depicting the entire female body, which suggests that society has been placing more value on the body of women. These developments show that the thin ideal may be more present, valued, and challenging for women to uphold in current times than in the past.



Internalization
The degree to which women are psychologically affected by thin images depends on the extent to which the ideal is internalized. An article from the Eating Disorders Journal states that “thin ideal internalization is the extent to which an individual ‘buys into’ socially defined ideals of attractiveness and engages in behaviors designed to approximate these ideals.” Social Comparison Theory is also used to explain reactions to thin ideal media. Downward social comparison to others perceived to be less fortunate than ourselves usually serves to enhance mood or self-worth while upward social comparison to others we perceive as socially better than ourselves usually leads to negative moods and self-evaluation. In order to attempt to measure women's media-ideal internalization and comparison, researchers utilize the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ). SATAQ has determined that women with a high degree of internalization are more likely to use thin-ideal media images as an upward comparison target and consequently feel that they do not meet the thin-ideal standard of attractiveness.

Effects on Women
Internalization of the thin ideal has a wide range of effects on women. Effects include greater body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, lower self-esteem. , obsessive eating and exercise behaviors, excessive focus on appearance, and increased mood and disturbance. Endorsement of the thin-ideal often correlates with both bulimic symptoms and subsequent diagnosis of bulimia. Exposure to ultra-thin models in media also lowers women’s self-evaluations of their physical attractiveness, body satisfaction, and sense of personal desirability to men. Other psychological impacts include “disruptions in one’s flow of feelings or behaviors, a reduction in the frequency of peak motivational states, and increases in shame and anxiety.” Women also generally relate the ideally thin body to positive life outcomes such as happiness, confidence, and romantic success. In a study by Renee Engeln-Maddox, women also associated a variety of rewards with looking like the thin ideal. Results show that the participants believe they would be better adjusted and socially competent. This tendency to link positive life outcomes with a thinner appearance is “significantly associated with both internalization of media ideals and appearance-related dissatisfaction”. By focusing their attention on appearance-related issues, women also divert themselves from partaking in more empowering activities and thoughts.

Studies
Many studies have been performed regarding the effect of the thin ideal. Some of these indicate that after women are shown images of ultra-thin models, they experience psychological and behavioral features associated with eating disorders, such as increased anger, depressed mood, body dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem. The images had an immediate negative effect on the mood of the participating women. Another study demonstrates that positive associations made with underweight models frequently leads to weight-focused anxiety and an elevated drive for thinness, both of which are principal symptoms of eating disorders. Several longitudinal studies have suggested that internalization of the thin ideal is a precursor to body image dissatisfaction and unnecessary dieting in women of a healthy weight. As Evans stated in the Psychology of Women Quarterly, “Women often feel dissatisfied with their appearance after comparing themselves to other females who epitomize the thin-ideal standard of beauty.” A study by Stice and Shaw suggests that thin-ideal media body images may produce negative mood states in women. Women who over-internalize the thin-ideal image tend to experience increased body dissatisfaction and a decrease in self-esteem. As women over-internalize they may set unrealistic goals regarding body dimension. “Those who have over-internalized the thin-ideal stereotype are convinced that achieving a thin-ideal body is the only way to be popular, loveable, successful, and happy.” In a 2005 study of 136 girls aged 11-16, exposure to ultra-thin or average-size models in magazines created lower body satisfaction and self-esteem. Another survey of over 500 adolescent girls aged 9-16 showed that 70% believed magazine images influenced their idea of the ideal body, and 47% of the same group wished to lose weight as a result. A study by Engeln-Maddox gave similar results. The two-phased study began with participants writing their thoughts in response to three advertisements taken from women’s magazines. The second phase required women to complete a variety of self-report measures focusing on their body image. The experiment determined that the participants had the tendency to “generate negative outcome social comparison” in response to the images, and had a greater feeling of body dissatisfaction and internalization.

Age
Meta-analysis in the field, based on findings from five separate studies, shows that negative impact is the strongest for women younger than 19. Adolescents are more at risk for developing body dissatisfaction because at this stage in their life they are growing and discovering who they are, taking inspiration from a variety of sources, including the media. This is a critical period of self-definition. Additionally, the onset of puberty causes many bodily changes (such as greater fat deposits and acne) that usually move girls farther away from the ideal image portrayed in media.

Previous Body Issues
Increases in body dissatisfaction are especially seen among women who are already struggling with self-esteem and/or body-related issues. In his study, Stephen C. Want found a similar result. The thin ideal images in media had a much greater effect on participants with body-related concerns than those with moderate and low levels of body-related concerns. Women with high body image self-discrepancy are more at risk of negative correlations from exposure to thin-ideal media. "Self-discrepancies are representations in the self-concept of ways in which one falls short of some important standard." Women who possess a body image self-discrepancy associate failure to reach a thin-ideal with their self concept.

Ethnicity
Most models used in advertising and media today are Caucasian, thus perpetuating White as the standard of beauty. DeBraganza and Hausenblas examined 30 Caucasian and 31 African-American female college students from the same southeastern university. The participants were shown a number of media images depicting Caucasian women of both ultra-thin and normal weight. After exposure, the Caucasian women reported significantly higher body dissatisfaction, especially after viewing the images of ultra thin models. The African-American women, on the other hand, were not affected by exposure to the images. For example, one African American participant wrote, “These women were too skinny. Also, the women were White, so they don’t represent Black beauty which is different from what is appealing to White women." This shows that people are more likely to make social comparisons with those who are similar to themselves (in this case, similar skin color).

Positive Effects
It is important to note that not all women are affected negatively by thin ideal images. There is a distinction between women who are aware of thinness in media and those who internalize the ideal and make it a personal belief system. For example, after seeing an image of a thin woman in the media, some women may fantasize themselves as thinner and more attractive. To some, this exposure to the thin ideal may make thinness seem more attainable and act as motivational factor in self-improvement. Some women also recognize the ideal as unattainable and comparisons between their body and thin ideal bodies as unrealistic. When comparing themselves to thin models, some women are inspired and proud of their body. A correlational study by Stice et al. (2004) suggests that a larger magnitude of media exposure may be linked to a greater risk of body dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin ideal, and development of eating disorders symptoms. However, few of the population in the study actually developed clinical eating disorders, and as the study was correlational, the said causes and effects may not be directly linked. For example, many women enjoy looking at fashion magazines for entertainment and do not experience immediate negative effects. Consequently, the theory that the media directly influences low self-esteem and body image dissatisfaction may be too simple.

Preventing Negative Effects
Some argue that the media could vary the size, attractiveness, and ethnicity of their models to represent the diversity of shapes and sizes among women. However, this is a more unlikely approach because of the "widespread belief among advertisers that thinness sells." It is perhaps more attainable to focus on giving adolescents and young women the tools to deconstruct the thin ideal message in media. Programs can be put in place that present and reinforce a critical stance towards female beauty standards in order to prevent high levels of social comparison and internalization. The "Everybody's Different" program, administered to American high school sophomores, has led to reduced internalization of the thin ideal and changes in the perceptions of the realism of media images. It has also led to both short and long term self-esteem improvement through a focus on positive self-appraisal surrounding weight and body image. Since daily exposure to thin ideal images makes it nearly impossible to avoid social comparison, learning to focus on attributes that women believe are better than the models could be helpful to building self-esteem. For example, in Engeln-Maddox’s study, one participant wrote about how she preferred her own belly button to the model’s. Another said she preferred her own elbows. Some companies are also choosing to promote a more attainable body image. The “Dove Evolution” commercial highlights the unrealistic distortion women in advertisements. The commercial ends by saying “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted," It also asks viewers to “Take part in the dove Real Beauty Workshop for Girls” and promotes the “Dove Self-Esteem Fund.” Several major fashion modeling events have also adopted new policies to encourage healthy body weights. For example, Fashion Week officials in Madrid, Spain banned models with a body mass index lower than eighteen. Comparable guidelines have been adopted in similar fashion events in other countries, such as Brazil and Argentina.