Media
Recent Research
A recent study, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (2010), surveyed over 7,000 people in 10 major world regions about their ideal body weight and body dissatisfaction. The participants also reported their exposure to Western and local media. Some of the most interesting findings of this study are
- Cross-cultural differences in body weight ideals and body dissatisfaction were largely small or insignificant.
- Men across all world regions (except East Asia) selected a significantly heavier figure as being most physically attractive compared to what women believed was most attractive to men.
- There were significant differences in body dissatisfaction in urban versus rural comparisons in Malaysia and South Africa. Participants in rural contexts had lower body dissatisfaction than their urban counterparts. It is suggested that these differences may partially be explained by socioeconomic differences between these two groups.
- Greater exposure to Western media was associated with a preference for a thinner figure. But this was not the case for exposure to local media. So it would seem that it was the specific media type, not the media in general, which was associated with ideal body weight selections.
The results of this study confirm beliefs that the 'thin ideal' and 'body dissatisfaction' are globalised concepts, largely as a result of the influence of Western media. Societies around the world are faced with the task of promoting more realistic and healthy body types and challenging the notion that 'thin is in'.
In addition to our compiled statistics, below is some recent research in the area of eating disorders and body image.
- 71% worry about their body image and 40% have dieted
- More than a quarter have had an eating disorder or know someone with one
- Teens identify solutions to body images pressures
February 2010 - A survey of almost 2,000 Australian teens has revealed that the vast majority have anxiety over their own body images and the unhealthy images being promoted, with only a quarter (27%) of Australian teens claiming they are happy when they look in the mirror. A significant 33% of teens have had an eating disorder, or have known someone with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.
The findings are part of an online survey of 1, 957 Australians aged 12 to 18 years old (Generation Z) released today by Habbo (www.habbo.com.au), Australia's most popular online playground for teenagers with 307,395[1] unique visitors a month. An even number of males and females participated in the survey, with respondents from each state and territory.
When asked whether unhealthy body images are depicted in society, half the respondents said yes and a further 38% said sometimes. The following channels were voted as responsible for promoting unhealthy body images:
Media - 43%
Models - 27%
Friends - 7%
Schools - 6%
Parents - 5%
Body builders - 5%
The results give insight into Australian teens' understanding of body image issues and how they should be best addressed. Many teens appear conflicted when it comes to their personal anxiety about body image, and their ideals about healthy body image. For example, a quarter of respondents believe that an ideal body image is "any size" and that it depends on the person, a further 24% said "any weight with a healthy BMI index", whilst 13% said a little bit of fat never hurt anyone.
Australian teens (32%) believe that ensuring healthy sized models and ambassadors are used in all media is the best way to increase awareness about a healthy body image. A close second (31%) was the suggestion of more education in schools, followed by showing programs on television that promotes a healthy outlook (13%).
Other key findings from the survey include:
- A significant proportion (36%) of teens have experienced bullying about their body image - either personally or through their friends experiences. They believe that it is a main contributor to my/their insecurities.
- Nearly a quarter (21%) of respondents have dieted to be healthier, 13% believed they could lose a few kilos and 4% said it was because someone at school told them they need to lose weight, 4% said their friends or family were dieting and 4% wanted to tone up.
- Three quarters of teens recognise that eating disorders isn't just a girl's issue.
- Teens believe being healthy and active is important, the majority (43%) enjoy the feeling of eating well and exercise and 40%, said it was important but they are not always that careful.
- Over half (51%) the respondents said they would try to talk to a family member or friend and see if they can help, if they had an eating disorder, 27% would tell a responsible adult, parent, teacher or counsellor.
Ngaire Stevens, Business Development Manager, Sulake & Habbo, explains "The results from the Habbo Body Image Survey suggest that teens in Generation Z are wary of the pressures around them to have a certain type of body image. They realise that the body images being promoted are unhealthy and that to be healthy is not necessarily to be skinny. The concerning thing is that they are still dieting, they are not happy with their own body images and they feel pressure to adhere to what's being promoted in the media and other channels of influence.