Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cultural expectations of thinness in women: A partial replication and update of magazine content

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if magazine articles in mainstream women’s magazines, continue to emphasize weight reduction. METHOD: Articles devoted to diet, exercise, and cosmetic surgery were tabulated from January 1989 to April 2007 in eight popular women’s magazines. RESULTS: The number of cosmetic surgery articles has substantially increased since 1989, while exercise articles continue to decline. Diet for weight loss articles have progressively decreased since 1989, with a marginal increase between 2003–2007. CONCLUSION: The upward trend in cosmetic surgery articles indicates that cosmetic surgery is now viewed as an alternate means to diet and exercise that women may choose to alter their physical appearance. One of the implications of moving to cosmetic surgery as a means to conform is that when it comes to female beautification, there are few extremes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Garner D.M., Garfinkel P.E., Schwartz D., Thompson M.: Cultural expectations of thinness in women. Psychological Reports, 47, 483–491, 1980.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wiseman M.A., Gray J.J., Mosimann J.E., Ahrens A.H.: Cultural expectations of thinness in women: An update. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 11, 85–89, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Saraceni R., Russel-Meyhew S.: Images and ideals: Counselling women and girls in a ‘thin-is-in’ culture. Can. J. Couns., 41, 97–106, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hesse-Biber S., Leavy P., Quinn C.E., Zoino J.: The mass marketing of disordered eating and eating disorders: Social psychology of women, thinness and culture. Women Studies International Forum, 29, 208–224, 2006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Stice E., Shaw H. E.: Adverse effects of the media portrayed thin-ideal on women and linkages to bulimic symptomology. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol., 13, 288–308, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Thompson K.J., Heinberg L.J.: The media’s influence on body image disturbance and eating disorders: We’ve reviled them, now can we rehabilitate them? J. Soc. Issues, 55, 339–353, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Stice E., Schupak-Neuberg E., Shaw H.E., Stein R.I.: Relation of media exposure to eating disorder symptomatology: An examination of mediating mechanisms. J. Abnorm. Psychol., 103, 836–840, 1994.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Stice E., Shaw H.: Role of body dissatisfaction in the onset and maintenance of bulimic pathology: A synthesis of research findings. J. Psychosom. Res., 53, 985–993, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Levine M.P., Smolak L.: Media as a context for the development of disordered eating. In: Smolak L., Levine M.P., Striegel-Moore R.H. (Eds.), The developmental psychopathology of eating disorders: Implications for research, prevention, and treatment. Mahwah, N.J., Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996, pp. 235–237.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Harrison K., Cantor J.: The relationship between media consumption and eating disorders. Journal of Communication, 47, 40–67, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Heinberg L.J., Thompson J.K.: Social comparison: Gender, target importance ratings and relation to body image disturbance. J. Soc. Behav. Person., 7, 335–344, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Heinberg L.J., Thompson J.K., Stormer S.: Development and validation of the Sociocultural Attitudes toward Appearance Questionnaire. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 17, 81–89, 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Posavac H.D., Posavac S.S., Posavac E.J.: Exposure to media images of female attractiveness and concern with body weight among young women. Sex Roles, 38, 187–201, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Richins M.L.: Social comparison and the idealized images of advertising. J. Consum. Res., 18, 71–83, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Stice E., Shaw H.E.: Adverse effects of the media portrayed thin-ideal on women and linkages to bulimic symptomology. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol., 13, 288–308, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Irving L. M.: Mirror Images: Effects of the standard of beauty on the self- and body-esteem of women exhibiting varying levels of bulimic symptoms. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol., 9, 230–242, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Stice E., Whitenton K.: Risk factors for body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls: A longitudinal investigation. Developmental Psychology, 38, 669–678, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Wolf N.: The beauty myth. Toronto, Random House, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Williamson J.: Decoding advertisements: Ideology and meaning in advertising. New York, Marion Boyars, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kilbourne J.: Still killing us softly: Advertising and the obsession with thinness. In: Fallon, P., Katzman, M.A., Wooly, C.S. (Eds.), Feminist perspectives on eating disorders. New York, Guilford, 1994, pp. 395–418.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rodin J., Silberstein L., Striegel-Moore R.: Women and weight: A normative discontent. In: Sonderegger T.B. (Ed,), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press, 1985, pp. 267–308.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Gerbner G., Gross L., Morgan Ml, Signorielli N., Shanahan J.: Growing up with television: The cultivation perspective. In: Jennings Bryant, Dolf Zillman (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research. Hillsdale, NJ, Erlbaum, 1994, pp. 61–90.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Andersen A.E.: Eating disorders in males. In: Brownell K.D., Fairburn C.G. (Eds.), Eating disorders and obesity. New York, Guillford Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Banfield S.S., McCabe M.P.: An evaluation of the construct of body image. Adolescence, 37, 373–394, 2002.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Stice E., Spangler D.L., Agras W.S.: Exposure to media-portrayed thin-ideal images adversely effects vulnerable girls: A longitudinal experiment. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol., 20, 271–289, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Stice E., Spangler D.L., Agras W.S.: Exposure to media-portrayed thin-ideal images adversely effects vulnerable girls: A longitudinal experiment. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol., 20, 271–289, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Stice E., Schupak-Neuberg E., Shaw H.E., Stein R.: Relation of media exposure to eating disorder symptomatology: An examination of mediating mechanisms. J. Abnorm. Psychol., 103, 836–840, 1994.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Thomsen S.R., Weber M.M., Brown L.B.: The relationship between reading beauty and fashion magazines and the use of pathogenic dieting methods among adolescent females. Adolescence, 37, 1–18, 2002.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Nemeroff C.J., Stein R.I., Diehl N.S., Smilack K.M.: From the Cleavers to the Clintons: Role choices and body orientation as reflected in magazine article content. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 16, 167–176, 1994.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Fraser S.: Cosmetic Surgery, Gender and Culture. New York, Palgrave MacMillan, 2003.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  31. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. National clearinghouse of plastic surgery statistics. [Online.] 2007 [cited 2007 April 30]; Available from: URL:http://www.plasticsurgery.org/public_education/Statistical-Trends.cfm

    Google Scholar 

  32. Delinsky S.S.: Cosmetic surgery: A common and accepted form of self-improvement? J. Appl. Soc. Psychol., 35, 2012–2028, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Harrison K.: Television viewers’ ideal body proportions: The case of the curvaceously thin women. Sex Roles, 48, 255–264, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Nevonen L., Broberg A.G.: The emergence of eating disorders: An exploratory study. Eur. Eat. Disord. Rev., 8, 279–292, 2000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Johnson-Sabine E., Wood L., Patton G., Mann A., Wakeling A.: Abnormal eating attitudes in London schoolgirls 3 a prospective epidemiological study: Factors associated with abnormal response on screening questionnaires. Psychol. Med., 18, 615–622, 1988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Brown C.: The continuum: Anorexia, bulimia, and weight preoccupation. In: Brown C., Jasper K. (Eds.), Consuming passions: Feminist approaches to weight preoccupation and eating disorders. Toronto, Canada: Second Story Press, pp. 53–68.

  37. Scarano G.M., Kalodner-Martin C.R.: A description of the continuum of eating disorders: Implications for intervention and research. J. Couns. Devel., 72, 356–362, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Malson H., Swann C. Prepared for consumption: (Dis)orders of eating and embodiment. J. Commun. Appl. Soc. Psychol., 9, 397–405, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Keesey R.E., Hirvonen M.D.: Body weight set-points: Determination and adjustment. J. Nutr., 127, 1875–1883, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Spitzer B.L., Henderson K.A., Zivian M.T.: Gender differences in population versus media body sizes: A comparison over four decades. Sex Roles, 40, 545–565, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Applied Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4

    R. Saraceni & S. Russell-Mayhew

Authors
  1. R. Saraceni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Russell-Mayhew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Saraceni.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saraceni, R., Russell-Mayhew, S. Cultural expectations of thinness in women: A partial replication and update of magazine content. Eat Weight Disord 12, e68–e74 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327646

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327646

Key words

Search

Navigation