Relationships Between Body-Shape Discrepancies With Favored Celebrities and Disordered Eating in Young Women

Celebrity worship and disordered eating among Chinese adolescents: The sequential mediating roles of upward physical appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction

It is well-established that celebrity worship is linked to disordered eating behaviors. However, the relationship between celebrity worship and specific eating disorders (i.e., emotional eating, restrained eating, and uncontrolled eating), as well as the underlying mechanisms, remains poorly understood. Based on the tripartite influence model, this study examines the potential mediating roles of upward physical appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction in the association between celebrity worship and disordered eating behaviors. A total of 752 Chinese middle school students (55.2% boys; average age = 13.23 years, SD = 1.01, range: 11-17 years) completed self-report measures assessing celebrity worship, upward physical appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviors. Path analysis revealed that upward physical appearance comparison mediated the relationship between celebrity worship and uncontrolled eating, but not restrained eating or emotional eating. Additionally, body dissatisfaction was found to significantly mediate the relationship between celebrity worship and all three types of disordered eating behaviors. Sequential mediation effects were also identified, with upward physical appearance comparison leading to body dissatisfaction, which subsequently influenced disordered eating behaviors. The findings suggest that celebrity worship may indirectly influence emotional eating, restrained eating, and uncontrolled eating through upward physical appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction among adolescents. These results highlight the importance of addressing the negative influence of celebrity worship by focusing on appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction in efforts to prevent disordered eating behaviors among Chinese adolescents.

Mediating effects of self-concept clarity and self-objectification on the relationship between celebrity worship and the process of considering cosmetic surgery among Chinese undergraduates

Background

Several studies have examined the relationship between celebrity worship and cosmetic surgery; however, few have discussed the mediating role of self-concept. To fill this research gap, the present study aims to examine the mediating roles of self-concept clarity and self-objectification in the association between celebrity worship and cosmetic surgery.

Methods

A sample of 1,089 Chinese undergraduates (Mage = 20.32; SDage = 2.60) completed measures of celebrity worship, actively considering cosmetic surgery, self-concept clarity, and self-objectification. Mediating effect analysis was used to test the hypothesis.

Results

The results showed that celebrity worship, cosmetic surgery consideration, and self-objectification were positively correlated, whereas self-concept clarity was negatively correlated with all three variables. Mediation analysis revealed that celebrity worship predicted consideration of cosmetic surgery not only directly but also through three indirect paths through the mediating role of (1) self-concept clarity, (2) self-objectification, and (3) the chain mediating role of self-concept clarity and self-objectification.

Conclusions

These findings broaden our understanding of the psychological processes that underlie the association between celebrity worship and considering cosmetic surgery and afford practical guidance on reducing the risks associated with cosmetic surgery.

Does Influencers Popularity Actually Matter? An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Influencers on Body Satisfaction and Mood Among Young Chinese Females: The Case of RED (Xiaohongshu)

Many studies have linked idealized body image on social media to negative psychological well-being among young females. However, social media influencers’ imagery has not attracted much research attention in either the Western or the Asian context. This study aimed to experimentally investigate the impact of high versus low popular social media influencer images on young Chinese females’ body satisfaction and mood. The participants were 420 female RED users (aged 18–35) who were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) the influencer-high group (idealized imagery alongside high engagement metrics); (2) the influencer-low group (the same idealized imagery adjusted for low engagement metrics); or (3) a control set of nature images. The results revealed that the groups exposed to influencer imagery had lower body satisfaction and more negative mood than the control group (nature images). Notably, this comparison showed no significant difference between the low-influencer and high-influencer groups in body satisfaction and mood. Additionally, this effect was moderated by individuals’ self-discrepancy between personal ideals and their own bodies. That is, exposure to idealized body images does not always produce harmful effects. For those with lower self-discrepancy, idealized body posts somewhat positively affected their body satisfaction. The current research contributes to the media effect literature by providing critical new insights into the study of body image in the context of China.

"I Found a More Attractive Deepfaked Self": The Self-Enhancement Effect in Deepfake Video Exposure

With the introduction of deepfake technology, which enables digital face-swapping between two individuals, young women are no longer passive viewers of attractive celebrities, but are able to become part of the perfect images. This study used the ZAO app as the apparatus to investigate the impact of viewing the self-celebrity deepfaked videos (SCDV) on young female users' appearance self-evaluation (i.e., body image and state appearance self-esteem). A sample of 128 young women 18-31 years of age was randomly assigned to view either 10 SCDV or 10 purely celebrity videos (PCV). All videos were sourced from the ZAO app. Results showed that participants in the SCDV condition perceived themselves as more physically attractive, experienced greater satisfaction with their own facial features, and reported marginally higher state appearance self-esteem than those in the PCV condition, whereas body shape satisfaction did not differ between the conditions. In addition, SCDV exposure increased perceived overall physical attractiveness and facial features satisfaction, but did not impact body shape satisfaction, whereas PCV exposure decreased facial features satisfaction, but did not impact perceived overall physical attractiveness or body shape satisfaction. "Attractive possible self" (APS) perception positively mediated the effect of SCDV exposure on perceived overall physical attractiveness, facial features satisfaction, body shape satisfaction, and state appearance self-esteem, while state appearance comparison only negatively mediated the effect of SCDV exposure on facial features satisfaction. This study reveals the potential of deepfake technology as an intervention technique for body image disturbances.

Celebrity influence on body image and eating disorders: A review

Celebrities are well-known individuals who receive extensive public and media attention. There is an increasing body of research on the effect of celebrities on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Yet, there has been no synthesis of the research findings. A systematic search for research articles on celebrities and body image or eating disorders resulted in 36 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Overall, the qualitative, correlational, big data, and experimental methodologies used in these studies demonstrated that exposure to celebrity images, appearance comparison, and celebrity worship are associated with maladaptive consequences for individuals' body image.

A picture is worth a thousand words: The effect of viewing celebrity Instagram images with disclaimer and body positive captions on women's body image

Research has shown that exposure to Instagram images is harmful for women's body image. Although Instagram consists of photos of both peers and celebrities, the top followed Instagram accounts are held by thin and attractive female celebrities. The present study aimed to experimentally investigate whether two forms of Instagram caption could mitigate the detrimental effect of celebrity images on women's body image. Participants were 256 female undergraduate students who were assigned to view a set of celebrity images with either no caption, a disclaimer caption, or a body positive caption, or a control set of travel images. Results showed that exposure to celebrity images, in comparison to travel images, increased body dissatisfaction and decreased body appreciation. However, there was no significant effect of either form of caption. The effect of celebrity images was mediated by state appearance comparison and moderated by trait appearance comparison. It was concluded that the addition of disclaimer or body positive captions by attractive celebrities does not serve to improve women's body image.

Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder Symptomology as a Risk Factor for Thin-Ideal Internalization: The Role of Self-Concept Clarity

The study of when and how individuals compare themselves against standards has been an enduring focus for clinical and social psychology researchers in efforts to facilitate well-being and health. Our study focused on internalization of the societal thin-ideal standard for feminine attractiveness, a construct that has proven to be very important in women's psychological health. Although multiple adverse consequences of thin-ideal internalization have been documented, the understanding of variability in the extent of thin-ideal internalization across women (e.g., why do some women strongly internalize thin-ideal standards when others do not?) is much less well developed. This research was conducted to explore the role of adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) symptomology and conceptions of the self in young women's propensity to internalize the thin-ideal attractiveness standard. Results show that elevated ASAD symptoms are associated with greater thin-ideal internalization. A structural equations model demonstrates the reason for this association; young women with higher ASAD symptomology exhibit lower self-concept clarity, which drives greater thin-ideal internalization. This research makes novel practical and conceptual contributions by (a) delineating a new risk factor for the development of thin-ideal internalization, (b) highlighting a previously undocumented vulnerability of women who experience ASAD symptoms, and (c) documenting the relationship between ASAD and lower self-concept clarity. Implications for mental health practitioners are discussed.

Testing Western Media Icons Influence on Arab Women’s Body Size and Shape Ideals: An Experimental Approach

Western media globalization is implicated in the spread of the thin body ideal to traditional societies. Qatar—a small conservative Middle-Eastern country—has recently witnessed rapid Westernization, but the influence of Western media icons on women’s body image dissatisfaction has rarely been studied here. A 2 (celebrity or model) × 3 (thin, average, or heavy) plus a control condition between-subject experiment tested the primary hypothesis that exposure to images of thin Western models or celebrities promotes a thinner body ideal compared to neutral images. A sample of young women (n = 1145) was randomly assigned to experimental images as part of an online survey. After exposure to images, participants rated their current and desired body size and shape, reported celebrity liking, and evaluated their favorite celebrity’s body. We found little support for the desire of thinness. Viewing thin- and average-sized celebrities was significantly associated with desiring a heavier and a thinner look (respectively) among those favoring thin celebrities. Images of thin models induced the desire for a curvaceous body figure with hips especially among those favoring celebrities with hips. The findings highlight important nuances in the influence of Western media icons on body image among women in a non-Western culture.

Attractive celebrity and peer images on Instagram: Effect on women's mood and body image

A large body of research has documented that exposure to images of thin fashion models contributes to women's body dissatisfaction. The present study aimed to experimentally investigate the impact of attractive celebrity and peer images on women's body image. Participants were 138 female undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to view either a set of celebrity images, a set of equally attractive unknown peer images, or a control set of travel images. All images were sourced from public Instagram profiles. Results showed that exposure to celebrity and peer images increased negative mood and body dissatisfaction relative to travel images, with no significant difference between celebrity and peer images. This effect was mediated by state appearance comparison. In addition, celebrity worship moderated an increased effect of celebrity images on body dissatisfaction. It was concluded that exposure to attractive celebrity and peer images can be detrimental to women's body image.

On the link between media coverage of anorexia and pro-anorexic practices on the web

OBJECTIVE

Links between media portrayals of celebrities and participation in activities related to anorexia are of interest to both researchers and practitioners but are difficult to study over long time periods and in large populations. Here we aim to determine the links between media portrayals of celebrities and online practices related to anorexia.

METHOD

We examined the Internet searching activities of 9.2 million people, focusing on searches related to known celebrities, especially those perceived by the public as suffering from anorexia, and on searches indicative of anorexic practices. Additionally, we tracked media attention of individual celebrities by monitoring all messages from Twitter related to those celebrities.

RESULTS

We found that a subset of users focus their browsing activities on celebrities perceived as anorexic. There was an increase of 14% in the hazard of performing anorexia-related searches after searching for information on the celebrities most perceived as anorexic. Media attention of a celebrity was a trigger for search activity, and when focused on a celebrity perceived as anorexic, resulted in a 33% increase in hazard for carrying out anorexic searches. Strikingly, when media attention included a reference to anorexia, the hazard decreased by 22%.

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that it would be beneficial for media, when reporting on those celebrities who are known to suffer from anorexia, to include this information in their reporting.

Media and cultural influences in african-american girls' eating disorder risk

Objective. To investigate media and cultural influences in eating disorder development in African-American adolescent females. Method. Fifty-seven participants were recruited through churches and community organizations to complete a questionnaire. Results. Mainstream sociocultural identification was associated with more eating disorder behavior in African-American females; cultural ethnic identification was not significantly associated with eating disorder behavior in African-American females, mainstream sociocultural identification, cultural ethnic identification, and body dissatisfaction significantly predicted eating disorder behavior; and cultural ethnic identification was positively correlated with mainstream sociocultural identification. This study provides support for the importance of eating disorder prevention interventions that focus specifically on African-American girls.

The Skinny on Celebrities

Much research demonstrates that exposure to thin media ideals has a negative effect on women’s body image. The present research suggests a notable and important exception to this rule. The authors propose the parasocial relationship-moderation hypothesis—that parasocial, or one-sided, relationships (PSRs) moderate the effects of thin media figures on body image. Specifically, the authors propose that having a PSR with a media figure increases the likelihood of assimilating, rather than contrasting, the PSR’s body to the self. Study 1 found that women who perceived similarity with a thin model felt better about their bodies than those who did not perceive similarity. Study 2 found that women were more satisfied with their bodies after exposure to a favorite celebrity they perceived as thin than a control celebrity they perceived as thin. Finally, Study 3 suggests that assimilation was the underlying mechanism of increased body satisfaction after exposure to a thin favorite celebrity.

Implicit alcohol-aggression scripts and alcohol-related aggression on a laboratory task in 11- to 14-year-old adolescents

Social scripts are commonly shared representations of behavior in social contexts, which are seen to be partly transmitted through social and cultural media. Research suggests that people hold scripts associated with alcohol-related aggression, but, unlike general aggression scripts, there is little evidence of social transmission. To demonstrate social transmission of alcohol-related aggression scripts, learning mechanisms based on personal experience should be minimized. We used a lexical decision task to examine implicit links between alcohol and aggression in alcohol-naïve adolescents who have limited personal or vicarious experience of alcohol-related aggression. One hundred and four 11-14 year old adolescents made lexical decisions on aggressive or nonaggressive words preceded by 40-ms alcohol or nonalcohol word primes. Repeated measures analyses of group data showed that alcohol word primes did not lead to faster responses to aggressive words than to nonaggressive words, nor were responses to aggressive words faster when they were preceded by alcohol word primes than by nonalcohol word primes. However, at an individual level, faster recognition times to the alcohol prime/aggression target word combination predicted aggression on a competitive laboratory task in 14 year olds only. This occurred only when the competitive aggression task was preceded by a visual presentation of alcoholic, but not nonalcoholic beverage, images. We concluded that alcohol-related aggression scripts are not strongly developed in this age group, but individual differences in script strength are linked to alcohol-related laboratory aggression.

Shopping for clothes: Body satisfaction, appearance investment, and functions of clothing among female shoppers

The present study aimed to investigate the link between clothing and body experience in women of different ages. Participants were 162 female clothes shoppers between the ages of 18 and 55 who completed questionnaire measures of body image, functions of clothing, self-esteem, and enjoyment of clothes shopping. It was found that clothing was worn primarily for assurance and fashion by women of all ages. On the other hand, BMI and body dissatisfaction were related to the use of clothing for camouflage purposes and to a more negative clothes shopping experience. Both components of appearance investment were related to choice of clothes for fashion and assurance. However, the self-evaluative salience component was negatively related, while the motivational salience was positively related, to enjoyment of clothes shopping. It was concluded that although clothing is an under-researched aspect of body image, it represents an important part of women's appearance management, whatever their age.