Do you see what I see?: An exploration of inter-ethnic ideal body size comparisons among college women

The relationship between racial/ethnic identification and body ideal internalization, hair satisfaction, and skin tone satisfaction in black and black/white biracial women

Eurocentric physical characteristics, including a thin, tall physique, long straight hair, and fair skin, typify Western beauty standards. Past research indicates that for Black women, greater identification with one's racial/ethnic culture may buffer against internalizing Eurocentric beauty standards, specifically the thin ideal. Black/White Biracial women often experience different appearance pressures from each of their racial identity's sociocultural appearance ideals. Unfortunately, body image research is limited among Bi/Multiracial individuals. Participants were recruited online via Prime Panels, a high-quality data recruitment service provided by CloudResearch. Participants, M(SD)Age= 34.64 (12.85), self-reported their racial/ethnic identification, thin and thick/curvy ideal internalization, and hair and skin tone satisfaction. Using linear regression analyses, we assessed whether racial/ethnic identification buffered against monoracial Black (n = 317) and Black/White Biracial (n = 254) women's thin ideal internalization. Additionally, we assessed whether stronger racial/ethnic identity was associated with stronger thick/curvy ideal internalization and hair and skin tone satisfaction. Supporting hypotheses, greater racial/ethnic identification was associated with higher thick/curvy ideal internalization and hair and skin tone satisfaction among both Black and Biracial women. Contrary to hypotheses, greater racial/ethnic identification was not associated with lower thin ideal internalization in either group. Our results stress the need to use racially and culturally sensitive measurements of body image.

The Sociostructural-Intersectional Body Image (SIBI) framework: Understanding the impact of white supremacy in body image research and practice

White supremacy and racial inequities have long pervaded psychological research, including body image scholarship and practice. The experiences of white, heterosexual, able-bodied, cisgender (predominantly college) women from wealthy, Westernized nations have been centered throughout body image research and practice, thereby perpetuating myths of invulnerability among racialized groups and casting white ideals and experiences as the standard by which marginalized bodies are compared. Body image is shaped by multiple axes of oppression that exist within systemic and structural systems, ultimately privileging certain bodies above others. In this position paper, we highlight how white supremacy has shaped body image research and practice. In doing so, we first review the history of body image research and explain how participant sampling, measurement, interpretive frameworks, and dissemination of research have upheld and reinforced white supremacy. Next, grounded in inclusivity and intersectionality, we advance the Sociostructural-Intersectional Body Image (SIBI) framework to more fully understand the body image experiences of those with racialized and minoritized bodies, while challenging and seeking to upend white supremacy in body image research and practice. We encourage other scholars to utilize the SIBI framework to better understand body inequities and the body image experiences of all people, in all bodies.

Resistance and empowerment against racism: A preregistered study of associations with body appreciation and body acceptance by others in racialised minority adults in the United Kingdom

Research on body image and racism has largely focused on how individual experiences of racism are associated with detrimental body image outcomes. However, research has not yet examined how resistance and empowerment against racism (REAR) - a repertoire of proactive strategies aimed at preventing or challenging racism both at the individual and collective levels - shape positive body image outcomes. Here, 236 women and 233 men who identified as belonging to racialised minority groups in the United Kingdom completed the REAR Scale - which measures REAR along four dimensions - as well as measures of body appreciation and body acceptance by others. Correlational analyses indicated significant inter-correlations between nearly all REAR domains and body image-related variables in men, whereas relationships in women were largely non-significant. Linear model analyses indicated that greater leadership for resistance against racism was significantly associated with higher body appreciation in women and men. Greater interpersonal confrontation of racism was significantly associated with both body appreciation and body acceptance by others in men, but not in women. These results suggest that REAR may play a role in shaping body image-related outcomes in people of colour, but that these effects are also be shaped by the intersection of gender and race.

Measurement invariance of the Broad Conceptualization of Beauty Scale (BCBS) across Black, Hispanic, and White women in the United States

The Broad Conceptualization of Beauty Scale (BCBS) assesses the degree to which women perceive diverse appearances and internal qualities as being beautiful. Although the instrument is increasingly used in diverse national and linguistic contexts, no previous study has examined measurement invariance of the BCBS across racial groups. To rectify this, we asked 395 Black, 406 Hispanic, and 423 White women from the United States to complete the BCBS. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a unidimensional model of BCBS scores had poor fit to the data in the total sample, but freely estimating error covariances between six pairs of items resulted in adequate fit. Additionally, full configural and scalar invariance was supported, but metric invariance was not, with further testing indicating that the item loading for one item differed across groups. Comparison of latent means indicated that all between-groups comparisons in BCBS scores were non-significant. However, medium-sized group differences in BCBS scores emerged once group differences in key demographics were controlled for. Overall, these results suggest that the BCBS largely achieves measurement invariance across Black, Hispanic, and White women in the United States, suggestive of similarity in how the construct of broad conceptualisation of beauty is understood and experienced.

A structural invariance analysis of the acceptance model of intuitive eating across black, hispanic, and white young-adult women

In this cross-sectional study, structural invariance of the acceptance model of intuitive eating was examined between a sample of Black (n = 420), Hispanic (n = 420), and White (n = 435) cisgender women between the ages of 18-30 years old residing in the United States. Mean age for the total sample (n = 1275) was 24.17 years old (SD = 3.65). Women were recruited via Qualtrics Sampling, and self-report measures were administered online. Multigroup analyses were employed within a structural equation modeling framework, and measurement invariance at the configural, metric, scalar, and strict/residual levels was investigated first. After uncovering and accounting for several error variances that were non-invariant, multigroup structural invariance analyses indicated that paths within the model were invariant across the three ethnicities of women. BMI was also incorporated into the model, which, likewise, showed invariance in its associations with specific constructs. With due cautions related to the impact of cultural ideals regarding appearance and the interplay of ethnicity and body-related experiences among women, these results provide preliminary evidence that the model may apply to Black, White, and Hispanic women in the U.S.

Development and validation of a measure of curvy ideals internalization

Several sociocultural female body ideals exist - thin, muscular/athletic, and, more recently, curvier ideals, which research specifically suggests are more prevalent among Black women. Two validated measures assess women's desire for curvier bodies, but neither assess certain facets of curvy ideals (e.g., thick vs. slim-thick) separately. We developed and validated the Curvy Ideals Internalization (CII) Scale, to be used alone or alongside existing measures of appearance ideal internalization. Focus groups among racially/ethnically diverse women informed initial items. A sample of 897 White (37.1%), Black (34.2%), and biracial Black and White (28.7%) U.S. women completed the initial 37-item CII to determine factor structure, narrow the item pool, and examine validity and reliability. A separate sample (N = 366) of U.S. Black, White, and biracial women completed the CII to confirm the factor structure. The final CII has eleven items, with factors assessing thick/curvy ideal internalization and facets of slim-thick ideal internalization: thin waist and large breast size. The CII has adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and factorial validity. The CII is appropriate for use among Black, White, and biracial women to assess internalization of curvier body ideals and needs to be validated in more diverse samples.

Black adolescents' appearance concerns, depressive symptoms, and self-objectification: Exploring the roles of gender and ethnic-racial identity commitment

There is a dearth of research examining Black adolescents' body image, with even less work examining gender differences or the influence of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) commitment. It is critical to understand how culturally relevant aspects of appearance-beyond commonly measured ideals such as thinness and muscularity-are particularly relevant to Black adolescents. The present study of Black youth (n = 252; 55% girls, 45% boys, ages 13-18, M_age = 15.5) explored the roles of gender and ERI commitment in the associations between skin tone, hair, and facial satisfaction and appearance esteem, depressive symptomatology, and self-objectification. With a few exceptions, satisfaction with skin tone, hair, and face were significantly associated with higher appearance esteem and lower self-objectification and depressive symptoms, even when controlling for weight and muscle tone satisfaction. Findings were similar across genders, with some associations stronger among Black girls relative to boys. Among youth with higher ERI commitment, associations were stronger between skin tone, hair, and facial satisfaction and some indicators of wellbeing. Findings elucidate the role of culturally relevant appearance concerns of Black adolescents and the potential benefits of ERI commitment. This work can inform culturally sensitive research practices and therapeutic interventions related to Black youth's body image experiences.

BMI and Disordered Eating in Black College Women: The Potential Mediating Role of Body Appreciation and Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity

Multiple studies indicate Black American women have disproportionately higher rates of obesity compared with other groups in United States. Although body image is associated with obesity, this relation is understudied among Black women. The purpose of the current study was to (1) examine the relations among body appreciation, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating; (2) assess body appreciation as a mediator of the relation between body mass index (BMI) and disordered eating, and (3) explore ethnic identity as a moderator in this association. Participants were 191 Black women recruited from a mid-Atlantic university. Participants' mean age was 19.16 years (SD = 1.95). Body appreciation partially mediated the relation between BMI and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes, such that women with higher BMIs reported lower body appreciation, which was associated with greater disordered eating symptoms. Ethnic identity was not a significant moderator of the association between BMI and body appreciation. Results support screening Black women with higher BMIs for disordered eating symptomatology and suggest it might be helpful to include body appreciation in interventions for Black women.

Black women's experiences of gendered racial sexual objectification, body image, and depressive symptoms

Black women navigate unique sexual objectification experiences and concerns about their bodies as a consequence of the race- and gender-based marginalization that they face. However, less is known about the influence of gendered racial sexual objectification experiences on Black women's mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms) or the contributions of key body image indicators (i.e., body surveillance and current-ideal body image discrepancy) that reflect Black women's engagement in monitoring and managing their bodies. We surveyed 1595 Black women to test our hypotheses that experiences of gendered racial sexual objectification (i.e., frequency and stress appraisal) would be positively associated with depressive symptoms and that body surveillance and current-ideal body image discrepancy would moderate this association. Analyses showed that more frequent experiences of gendered racial sexual objectification and higher stress appraisal of these experiences were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. Furthermore, body surveillance and current-ideal body image discrepancy moderated the relation between gendered racial sexual objectification and depressive symptoms. Findings highlight how Black women's objectification and increased engagement in body monitoring and management practices are associated with their experiences of depressive symptoms, and thus, may negatively influence their mental health.

Body image and internalization of appearance ideals in Black women: An update and call for culturally-sensitive research

Extant research on body image supports sociocultural theories emphasizing the internalization of societal pressures to attain the thin-ideal, as well as other White or Eurocentric ideals that are predominant in mainstream media. While earlier research suggests that Black women are less likely to report body dissatisfaction and thin-ideal internalization compared to women of other racial backgrounds, recent studies argue that most measures of body image and appearance ideals may not be accurate assessments of body dissatisfaction for this population. In this paper, we summarize the literature over the past two decades on body image and appearance ideals among cisgender Black girls and women and discuss the applications of well-established sociocultural theories of body dissatisfaction. We additionally highlight existing gaps in culturally-sensitive theory and assessment tools and consider the benefits of applying intersectionality-informed research. We lastly propose future directions in research, assessment, and intervention to develop more culturally-sensitive approaches to identifying, assessing, and addressing body dissatisfaction among Black girls and women. This paper encourages researchers to apply culturally-sensitive and intersectionality-informed theory to improve efforts in assessing early warning signs of body dissatisfaction and developing effective interventions for this population.

The ever-changing ideal: The body you want depends on who else you're looking at

The body positivity movement-celebrating bodies beyond the thin ideal-has gained traction on social media. In an online study of North American women, we aimed to determine how ideal body perceptions shift based on the presentation of more diverse body types. In Study 1, women (n = 115, aged 19-75) responded to arrays of bodies ranging from primarily small to primarily large bodies, selecting the body closest to their ideal body. Results showed that the BMI of the ideal body increased as the body sizes in the array increased. Participants were also less likely to select an underweight ideal when viewing larger bodies. In Study 2, women responded to arrays with either primarily small (n = 132, aged 20-68) or primarily large (n = 130, aged 20-75) bodies. Results suggested that ideal body perceptions only shifted around current societal standards, and not to extremes. The participants presented with the larger-bodied arrays were more likely to select a normal weight ideal body than those who saw the smaller-bodied arrays. Results suggest ideal body size is malleable, and shifting toward a more diverse perception of the ideal body is achievable with increased exposure beyond the thin ideal.

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.

Black and White women's attributions of women with underweight

Despite the idealization of thin bodies, many people with low body weights report experiencing weight stigma. This stigma might relate to stereotypes about eating disorders (EDs). Specifically, people with lower body weights might be perceived as having EDs, conditions associated with significant stigma. Also, there is considerable pressure for Black women to obtain a curvy ideal, which could lead to anti-thin bias (i.e., the belief that individuals at lower body weights have undesirable characteristics) in this group. The current study evaluated these possibilities via an examination of anti-thin bias in Black and White women. Further, we explored perceived attributions of weight for Black and White women with underweight. Black (n = 96) and White (n = 128) participants read racially concordant vignettes in which characters varied by body mass index (BMI) status (slightly underweight, average weight, and slightly overweight). White women were more likely to ascribe negative personality characteristics to White vignette characters with underweight than to characters with average weight. In contrast, Black women's perceptions of Black vignette characters did not differ according to weight status. Both Black and White participants were more likely to attribute underweight characters' body weight to an ED compared with average weight characters. Results suggest that weight bias literature should incorporate the assessment and impact of weight stigma for individuals across the BMI spectrum.

Perceptions and experiences of appetite awareness training among African-American women who binge eat

INTRODUCTION

Binge eating may contribute to the prevalence of obesity in African-American women. Yet, there has been scant intervention research on the treatment of binge eating in this population. We tested the feasibility of an appetite awareness training (AAT) intervention in a sample of African-American women with binge and overeating behaviors. Participants who completed AAT were recruited to participate in focus groups to elicit information about their perceptions and experiences with this intervention to inform the design of future interventions to treat binge eating and obesity in African-American women.

METHODS

African-American women, aged 18-70 years, who had completed an 8-week randomized AAT intervention, were invited to attend a focus group discussion. Session content was recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed by use of open coding. Themes were identified that described their perceptions and experiences of participating in the intervention.

RESULTS

Seventeen women participated in three focus group discussions. Pertinent themes identified included: paying attention to internal cues of hunger and satiety, influence of culture on eating patterns, breaking patterns of disordered eating, and perceptions about weight. Overall, participants were satisfied with their experience of AAT, and reported they found it valuable to learn about listening to biological signals of hunger and satiety and to learn specific strategies to reduce maladaptive eating patterns.

CONCLUSION

AAT was acceptable and provided helpful eating behavior instruction to African-American women with reported binge and overeating behaviors. Future research should examine the potential of AAT to improve weight management in this underserved population.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, qualitative descriptive study.

Measurement invariance of the SATAQ-4 in Black and White undergraduate women

The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) is a widely used measure of sociocultural factors affecting body image. Despite evidence sociocultural appearance ideals and pressures might differ between White and Black women, the SATAQ-4's invariance has not been formally evaluated. The current study examined its measurement invariance across White and Black college women. Women (N = 730; 68.5 % White, 31.5 % Black), recruited from a large, public university in the United States completed measures online. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed the original five-factor structure was adequate in each group, and it appeared equivalent across groups. However, full metric invariance was not supported. Factor loadings on one item differed, suggesting differences in how this item contributed to thin-ideal internalization between groups. Similarly, one threshold differed, suggesting Black women who mostly agreed they wanted a "very thin" body had more thin-ideal internalization than White women with the same rating. These results suggest comparisons between these groups on the thin-ideal internalization subscale should be interpreted cautiously, as group differences could reflect some measurement bias. Given appearance pressures and ideals extend beyond thinness, particularly for Black women, future research should consider refining or developing culturally sensitive measures, to enhance relevance between and within racial/ethnic groups.

The Influence of Race-Related Stress on Eating Pathology: The Mediating Role of Depression and Moderating Role of Cultural Worldview Among Black American Women

The current study aimed to advance the eating pathology literature through investigating the association between a salient stressor for Black American women (race-related stress) and eating pathology, while also examining the potential mediating role of depressive symptoms on this association. In addition, the study aimed to examine the potential protective role of cultural worldview in this model. A community sample of 119 Black women between the ages of 18 and 60 years ( M = 36.34, SD = 12.51) were recruited for the study. Results supported a significant indirect effect of race-related stress on eating pathology through depressive symptoms. Moderated mediation analyses revealed a conditional effect of depression at various levels of worldview. Contrary to our hypotheses, participants with a more collectivistic and spiritual worldview often engaged in more eating pathology as a result of self-reported depressive symptoms stemming from experiences of race-related stress. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Loving myself through thick and thin: Appearance contingent self-worth, gendered racial microaggressions and African American women's body appreciation

Contrary to previous literature, recent studies have indicated that African American women are reporting similar rates of body dissatisfaction as their European American counterparts. Yet, little is known about contextual factors, such as gendered racial microaggressions and their association with body appreciation, and whether appearance contingent self-worth accounts for this relationship. Consistent with intersectionality theory, this study examined appearance-contingent self-worth as a mediator between stress related to experiencing sexually objectifying gendered racial microaggressions and body appreciation. African American emerging adult women (N = 143), predominately from the Southern United States, completed a self-report measure of gendered racial microaggressions, appearance contingent self-worth, and body appreciation. Results demonstrated that appearance contingent self-worth, at least in part, mediated the relationship between stress related to gendered racial microaggressions and African American women's appreciation for their bodies. It is imperative future body image interventions aimed at African American emerging adult women address factors, such as appearance contingent self-worth and gendered racial microaggressions, in their efforts improve body appreciation.

Ideal comparisons: Body ideals harm women's body image through social comparison

Body dissatisfaction and self-objectification can arise when women view idealized thin bodies, as well as idealized athletic or curvy bodies. State-level social comparisons have been shown to mediate such effects, with mixed evidence for the moderating role of trait-level social comparison. An experiment tested the hypotheses that viewing messages idealizing thin, athletic, and curvy bodies would be associated with greater state social comparison as compared to a body acceptance condition, and that trait social comparison would moderate this association. Additionally, state social comparison was expected to mediate the association between viewing idealized images and negative body image. Data were collected online from 200 adult women. Regression analyses indicated that all three body ideals significantly increased state social comparison, which in turn predicted greater body surveillance, lower body appreciation, and, for thin and curvy conditions only, lower body esteem for looks. Further, trait social comparison moderated the association between viewing the curvy ideal and state social comparison. This study increases our knowledge of how state and trait social comparison function in relation to body ideals. Reducing social comparison to idealized images, as opposed to replacing the thin ideal with other body types, may be a superior approach to improving body image.

Ethnicity, eating pathology, drive for muscularity, and muscle dysmorphia in college men: a descriptive study

The nature and presentation of eating pathology in ethnically diverse men are not well defined. This study examined associations among ethnicity, body image, and eating pathology in nonclinical college men (N = 343). Analysis of variance analyses indicated that markers of eating, weight, and shape concerns differed by ethnicity: Asian and Hispanic/Latino men reported more pathological levels than European and African American men. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that ethnicity moderated the relationship between drive for muscularity and body checking, which was strongest for Asian men. Results increase awareness of how ethnicity interacts with body image and eating pathology, which underscores the need for individualized, culturally sensitive treatment for ethnically diverse men.

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.

Longitudinal impact of weight misperception and intent to change weight on body mass index of adolescents and young adults with overweight or obesity

OBJECTIVE

Accurate perception of one's weight status is believed to be necessary to motivate weight loss intention and subsequent weight loss among those with overweight/obesity. This proposed pathway, however, is understudied in longitudinal research. This study examined the indirect effect of weight change intention on the relationship between weight status perception and BMI change among adolescents with overweight/obesity.

METHODS

Participants included 2664 adolescents with overweight/obesity (52% female) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Longitudinal associations between Wave II weight status perception (accurate versus misperception) and intent to change weight (i.e., gain, lose, stay the same) on BMI change (Wave II-Wave IV) were examined using multiple linear regression. Indirect effects of weight change intention were investigated using the Monte Carlo method. Analyses were stratified by gender.

RESULTS

Accurate perceivers (81.0% female; 60.1% male) were more likely than misperceivers (i.e., perception of "about the right weight") to report weight loss intention (p<0.001). Among females, weight status misperception and weight loss intention individually were associated with smaller (β=-1.37, 95% CI [-2.64, -0.10]) and greater (β=1.18, 95% CI [0.11, 2.25]) BMI gains, respectively. Among males, fully adjusted models suggested that weight status misperception was associated with significantly smaller gains in BMI over time (β=-1.51, 95% CI [-2.38, -0.63]). Weight change intention did not emerge as an indirect effect for either gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Although weight status misperception was protective against weight gain, weight change intention did not provide an explanation for this relationship.

Should women be "All About That Bass?": Diverse body-ideal messages and women's body image

While most body image research emphasizes the thin ideal, a wider variety of body-ideal messages pervade U.S. popular culture today, including those promoting athleticism or curves. Two studies assessed women's reactions to messages conveying thin, athletic, and curvy ideals, compared to a control message that emphasized accepting all body types. Study 1 (N=192) surveyed women's responses to these messages and found they perceived body-acceptance and athletic messages most favorably, curvy messages more negatively, and thin messages most negatively. Further, greatest liking within each message category came from women who identified with that body type. Study 2 (N=189) experimentally manipulated exposure to these messages, then measured self-objectification and body satisfaction. Messages promoting a body-ideal caused more self-objectification than body-acceptance messages. Also, athletic messages caused more body dissatisfaction than thin messages. Together, these findings reveal the complexity of women's responses to diverse messages they receive about ideal bodies.

Downward dog becomes fit body, inc.: A content analysis of 40 years of female cover images of Yoga Journal

The present analysis investigated temporal trends in physical appearance attributes and attire worn by female cover models of Yoga Journal magazine between the years 1975-2015. Covers featuring a single female model (N=168) were coded for: pose activity, amount of body visibility, perceived body size, body shape, breast size, skin exposure, and revealing or form-fitting attire. When collapsed across all decades, the majority of cover models was actively posed with high body visibility, rated as at most low normal weight, possessed either a "thin/lean" or "skinny/boney" body shape, and were "flat-chested" or "small-breasted". Greater body visibility, pose activity, thinness/leanness, skin exposure, and form-fitting attire were featured on more recent years' covers. Findings suggest that the female "yoga body" conforms to the contemporary thin- and-toned media fitness ideal, particularly recently, which may promote objectified body competence, an unhealthy drive for leanness, and dissuade higher weight women from considering yoga practice.

Boost Your Body: Self-Improvement Magazine Messages Increase Body Satisfaction in Young Adults

The verbal messages that contextualize exposure to idealized body imagery may moderate media users' body satisfaction. Such contextualizing verbal messages often take the form of social comparison motives in fashion magazines, while body dissatisfaction is an important mechanism underlying various body image-related health issues like depression and unbalanced weight status. Hence, the present study applied social comparison motives as induced through magazine cover messages. Hypotheses were tested in an experimental design with social comparison motives (self-improvement vs. self-evaluation vs. control) and recipient gender as between-subjects factors and body satisfaction as within-subjects factor (N = 150). Results showed that self-improvement messages accompanying ideal body media models increased body satisfaction, compared to control messages and baseline measures. In contrast, the self-evaluation messages did not impact body satisfaction. Results imply that inconsistencies regarding effects from exposure to idealized body imagery are explained by the context in which media images are portrayed, evoking differential social comparison motives. Moreover, the findings imply that health communication interventions can use verbal messages on body improvement as helpful tools, if they draw on social comparison motives effectively.

"You better not leave me shaming!": Conditional indirect effect analyses of anti-fat attitudes, body shame, and fat talk as a function of self-compassion in college women

The present investigation provided a theoretically-driven analysis testing whether body shame helped account for the predicted positive associations between explicit weight bias in the form of possessing anti-fat attitudes (i.e., dislike, fear of fat, and willpower beliefs) and engaging in fat talk among 309 weight-diverse college women. We also evaluated whether self-compassion served as a protective factor in these relationships. Robust non-parametric bootstrap resampling procedures adjusted for body mass index (BMI) revealed stronger indirect and conditional indirect effects for dislike and fear of fat attitudes and weaker, marginal effects for the models inclusive of willpower beliefs. In general, the indirect effect of anti-fat attitudes on fat talk via body shame declined with increasing levels of self-compassion. Our preliminary findings may point to useful process variables to target in mitigating the impact of endorsing anti-fat prejudice on fat talk in college women and may help clarify who is at higher risk.

The demographics of fat talk in adult women: Age, body size, and ethnicity

Fat talk, conversations in which women disparage the size/shape of their bodies, acts as both a reflection of and contributor to body dissatisfaction. We assessed the impact of age, body mass index, and ethnicity on fat talk in two large, online surveys of adult women. Body mass index showed a small, positive correlation with fat talk, but only for women who were not overweight. Fat talking was common across all ages. In contrast to the common belief that fat talk is limited to young, thin women, these studies demonstrate that women of many body sizes and ages engage in fat talk.

A preliminary investigation of racial differences in body talk in age-diverse U.S. adults

To compare racial similarities and differences in conversations about body image, this online study surveyed U.S. adult men (n=1928) and women (n=1965) on 1) exposure to and 2) pressure to engage in body talk using vignettes featuring unfavorable body talk (e.g., "fat talk") or favorable self-accepting body talk. Black women reported less unfavorable body talk compared to White, Hispanic, and Asian women. Conversely, Black and Hispanic women reported more experience with favorable body talk compared to White women. Asian men reported more experience with favorable and unfavorable body talk compared to White men, and Black men reported more experience with favorable body talk compared to White men. Findings for Black women and men are largely consistent with body image literature espousing personal individualization of beauty and style (e.g., "She's got it going on"). Given the dearth of research on body talk among men, conclusions regarding racial differences among men are tentative. Further exploration of varying forms of body talk holds promise for the development of culturally-sensitive prevention and treatment efforts for body image and disordered eating among culturally diverse groups of men and women.

"It runs in my family …": The association of perceived family history with body dissatisfaction and weight bias internalization among overweight women

Aspects of poor body acceptance (BA), such as internalized weight bias and dissatisfaction with one's shape and size, are the strongest predictors of disordered eating and are associated with reduced engagement in healthy behaviors. Perceiving oneself as having a family history of overweight (PFH) could boost BA by increasing attributions for inherited, biological causes of weight. A community sample of 289 women who were overweight from the Washington, DC metropolitan area who were dissatisfied with their current weight (68% Black; 32% White) enrolled in this study in 2012. PFH of overweight was associated with decreased internalized weight bias among white women and marginally increased body shape satisfaction generally. The relationship between PFH and BA was not explained by biological attributions for weight. Perceptions that overweight runs in one's family can be protective with respect to BA. This is suggestive of the potential benefit of integrating family-based approaches into weight management interventions.

The role of familism in weight loss treatment for Mexican American women

Mexican American women are disproportionately affected by overweight/obesity and the health complications accompanying them, but weight loss treatments are less successful in this ethnic group. High levels of familism, a value reflecting obligation to family that supersedes attention to oneself, interfere with weight loss for Mexican American women. This mixed methods study investigated overweight Mexican American women’s beliefs about how familism, and Mexican American culture, might hinder weight loss success, and how treatments might be culturally adapted. Results suggest a need to support women in their commitment to family while also helping them make changes. Recommendations for culturally adapted treatments are made.

Masculinities and ethnicities: Ethnic differences in drive for muscularity in British men and the negotiation of masculinity hierarchies

Although relatively little is known about ethnic differences in men's drive for muscularity, recent theoretical developments suggest that ethnic minority men may desire greater muscularity to contest their positions of relative subordinate masculinity. This study tested this hypothesis in a sample of 185 White, 180 Black British, and 182 South Asian British men. Participants completed self-report measures of drive for muscularity, need for power, adherence to traditional cultural values, and ethnic group affiliation. Taking into account between-group differences in body mass index, results indicated that White men had significantly lower drive for muscularity than Black and South Asian men, who were not significantly different from each other. In addition, greater need for power was significantly associated with higher drive for muscularity in ethnic minority, but not White, men. Greater adherence to traditional cultural values, but not ethnic group affiliation, was associated with lower drive for muscularity in all ethnic groups. These results suggest that ethnic minority men may desire greater muscularity as a means of negotiating masculinity and attendant ideals of appearance.

Considering an affect regulation framework for examining the association between body dissatisfaction and positive body image in Black older adolescent females: does body mass index matter?

The present study provided an initial evaluation of an affect regulation model describing the association between body dissatisfaction and two contemporary measures of positive body image among 247 Black college-bound older adolescent females. We further tested whether possessing a higher body mass index (BMI) would strengthen these associations. Self-reported height and weight were used to calculate BMI. Respondents also completed a culturally-sensitive figure rating scale along with assessments of body appreciation and body image flexibility. Results indicated a robust positive association between the two measures of positive body image; BMI was the strongest predictor of both body appreciation and body image flexibility with body size discrepancy (current minus ideal) contributing incremental variance to both models tested. Implications for improving our understanding of the association between positive and negative body image and bolstering positive body image to promote health-protective behaviors among Black young women at this developmental juncture are discussed.

An Investigation of Body Appreciation, Ethnic Identity, and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Black Women

Positive body image, such as body appreciation or acceptance, has gone largely unexamined in women of color in comparison with more pathological body attitudes. In an effort to promote and extend positive body image research, this study examined the reliability and validity of the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS) in Black college women, as well as the relation between ethnic identity and body appreciation. Participants were 228 Black college women ( M age = 19.89, SD = 4.57). The relation between BAS scores and measures of appearance evaluation, self-esteem, Western beauty ideal internalization, eating disordered behavior, and teasing was examined to investigate convergent and divergent validity. Results supported the construct validity of this measure. Similar to previous research, a confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional factor structure. Ethnic identity was moderately, positively associated with body appreciation. Western beauty ideal internalization mediated the relation between ethnic identity and eating, weight, and shape concerns. Overall, findings support the use of the BAS with Black college women.