Over the years there has been an increased interest in the effects of media on body image. Seeing as our society has become dependent on the media, many questions are brought up regarding its effects. There have been many studies conducted that involve the effect of media and body image.()
In a recent study there was a finding of an interaction between types of commercials participants viewed and their diet restraint. () When viewing commercials with slim models and diet products, the participants, which were restrained eaters, were inhibited and ate much less while the less restrained ate more. (Anschutz, D., Strien, T., Engels R, 2008). Other findings support the idea that exposure to mass media depicting the thin-ideal body relates to women’s vulnerability to disturbances related to body image. Grabe, Ward and Hyde (2008) replicated this finding by doubling the number of effect sizes which provided a greater support for the relation between media exposure and woman’s body dissatisfaction. This meta-analysis study found substantial evidence that suggests that exposure to media is linked to women’s general dissatisfaction with their bodies (Grabe, S., Ward, L. & Hyde, J., 2008). A prospective study was interested in investigating the predictors of body image in young girls. () Not surprisingly, there was a positive relationship between the exposure to appearance television and magazines to specific ideal appearances that supports previous studies. Overall the evidence supported the idea that both biological and psychological variables play a role in the development of body image in children (Clark, L., Tiggemann, M., 2008). A similar study examined the role of peer and media influence in body dissatisfaction in young girls as well as the relationship between body satisfaction and self-esteem. As the girls were evaluated after views television programs, the girls’ desire for thinness was found to temporally precede low self-esteem. Although there was a desire...