Body Image
Body Image Satisfaction in Women: The Effects of Traditional
Women’s Magazines vs. Online/E-reader Women’s Magazines
A negative perception of body satisfaction in women has become a socially accepted occurrence in how women view their body. Devaraj and Lewis (2010) explain in their study that body image can be defined as a person’s perception of how his or her physical body appears to him or her, including their feelings and attitudes towards their body (p. 103). There are sociocultural pressures for women to be thin, and when this cultural expectation cannot be met, a level of decreased body satisfaction is then internalized. In Western society there is discontent with body image in women that has been described as “normative” (McLaren & Kuh, 2004; Rodin, Silberstein, & Striegel-Moore, 1984; Tiggemann & Lynch, 2001; Devaraj & Lewis, 2010 p. 103). Women in Western cultures tend to focus on the thin ideal, or the preference for a lower weight, even if that means having a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than what is considered a healthy average (Ferguson, Munoz, Contreras & Velasquez, 2011 p. 459). The greatest influences for body satisfaction in women in Western cultures have been observed to be motivated through media sources.
There have been a multitude of studies completed examining this occurrence, specifically with television and how the female figure is represented. This study will be examining a new territory of specific factors within the realm of media that influence how women perceive their body image. With the launch of new technology such as the Ipad, Nook, Kindle and other various tablets there are now even more modes that enables exposure to the “ideal thin” body image. We will be focusing on magazines and their effect on women’s internalization of body satisfaction and how the introduction of new technologies with online magazines and e-readers have affected this phenomenon.
Literature Review
Western culture has become obsessed with perfectionism,
Women’s Magazines vs. Online/E-reader Women’s Magazines
A negative perception of body satisfaction in women has become a socially accepted occurrence in how women view their body. Devaraj and Lewis (2010) explain in their study that body image can be defined as a person’s perception of how his or her physical body appears to him or her, including their feelings and attitudes towards their body (p. 103). There are sociocultural pressures for women to be thin, and when this cultural expectation cannot be met, a level of decreased body satisfaction is then internalized. In Western society there is discontent with body image in women that has been described as “normative” (McLaren & Kuh, 2004; Rodin, Silberstein, & Striegel-Moore, 1984; Tiggemann & Lynch, 2001; Devaraj & Lewis, 2010 p. 103). Women in Western cultures tend to focus on the thin ideal, or the preference for a lower weight, even if that means having a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than what is considered a healthy average (Ferguson, Munoz, Contreras & Velasquez, 2011 p. 459). The greatest influences for body satisfaction in women in Western cultures have been observed to be motivated through media sources.
There have been a multitude of studies completed examining this occurrence, specifically with television and how the female figure is represented. This study will be examining a new territory of specific factors within the realm of media that influence how women perceive their body image. With the launch of new technology such as the Ipad, Nook, Kindle and other various tablets there are now even more modes that enables exposure to the “ideal thin” body image. We will be focusing on magazines and their effect on women’s internalization of body satisfaction and how the introduction of new technologies with online magazines and e-readers have affected this phenomenon.
Literature Review
Western culture has become obsessed with perfectionism,
References: Kim, J. (2009). Are you feeling better about your body image?: Self disclosure and psychosocial benefits in dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” online discussion forum. Conference Papers International Communication Association, 1-23. Ohio State University (2011, April 11). Media’s focus on ideal body shape can boost women’s body satisfaction-- for a while. e! Science News. Retrieved from http://www.esciencenews.com/articles/2011/04/11 Pew Research Center (2013) Pew Research Center (2012). E-reader ownership among U.S adults 2010 - 2012, by gender. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/216359/e-reader-ownership-among-us-adults-by-gender/ Shaw, J Slade, P. (1982) Towards a functional analysis of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. PubMed, (Pt.3). Abstract retrieved from http://www.ncbi.hlm.nih.gov./pubmed/6957251 Sohn, S “South Carolina Department of Mental Health,” Eating disorder statistics, Accessed April 15, 2013, http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm Treadwell, D