The body electric: Thin-ideal media and eating disorders in adolescents

The aim of this study was to replicate survey research demonstrating a correlation between adults ’ thin-ideal media exposure and eating disorders (Harrison & Can-tor, 1997) with a sample of 366 adolescents. Measures included interest in body-improvement media content, exposure to thin-ideal television and magazines, ex-posure to fat-character television, exposure to sports magazines, and eating-disor-der symptomatology. Exposure to fat-character television, thin-ideal magazines, and sports magazines predicted eating-disorder symptomatology for females, espe-cially older females. Exposure to fat-character television also predicted body dissat-isfaction for younger males. Relationships remained significant when selective ex-posure based on interest in body-improvement content was controlled. Discussion centers on the importance of age and sex in moderating the effects of exposure to thin-ideal media on eating disorders. Have you seen the fool that corrupted his own live body? or the fool that corrupted her own live body? For they do not conceal themselves, and cannot conceal themselves. —Walt Whitman, 1855 During the past decade, scholars and clinicians interested in the study of elec-tronic media effects and mental health have turned their attention to the link between exposure to thin-ideal media and eating disorders (Harrison & Cantor