Effect of television media on body image in Adolescent Girls diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. Research has continually revealed that television media has had an impact on viewers, however, more specifically studies have indicated that the adolescent has been most impacted especially the population that are diagnosed with eating disorders. In particular, this study will examine the adolescent population diagnosed with anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa usually begins with the adolescent experiencing a negative misperception of their body image which leads to a lack of satisfaction with their body, low self-esteem and the desire to become thin. The adolescent female is influenced by the image of the thin models and movies stars and begins to imagine themselves as that individual. Anorexia nervosa is a serious disorder that has caused serious health complications such as heart problems, dehydration, and emotional problems.
This study will investigate the effect of television media on body image of adolescents girls diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Research has shown that the adolescent female is known to spent hours watching soap operas and reality programs. The objective of this paper is to examine the correlation between the hours spent exposed to television media, the specific television program exposure and any possible impact on body image the exposure to television media has on the specified population of anorexic adolescents.
The Essay on Media Body Image And Self worth
Media, Body Image and Self-Worth How the Media Influences the Development of a Woman's Self-Esteem Every women's dream... to be 5'10, 115 pounds or underweight as to be considered thin, have long slender legs, a flat stomach and to have generously proportioned breasts. Why? Simply because media has deceived young women into thinking as though that is the standard of beauty, and every woman wants ...
More specifically this paper will research the following: 1) Does television media have an effect on body image of adolescent girls between the age of 12 – 16 who are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa 2) What type of television media does the adolescent watch? According to the National Institute on Media and the Family (1996) a study reported that the amount of time an adolescent watches soaps, movies, and movie videos was associated with their body dissatisfaction which led to eating disorders and their desire to be thin and mirror the images observed through the above mentioned media.
According to the DSM-IV (1994), Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight and the individual is intensely afraid of gaining weight. Further reports indicate that the DSM-IV classification of Anorexia Nervosa indicates a specific lack of satisfaction with body image an individual experiences. (APA).
Body image has become an important factor to the self-esteem of the anorexic adolescent population and research has shown that the perception or misconception of ody image is definitely correlated to eating disorders. According to Tremblay and Limbos (2009), body image is defined as the internal visual image of body shape and size “that includes perceptions of appearance, feelings and thoughts about the body, how it feels to be inside the body and the body functions and capabilities. ” (Tremblay et. al, 2009, p. 62).
There are various studies that researched the participant of body image and influence of the media and how body dissatisfaction can lead to eating disorders. In a study conducted by Grabe, Hyde & Ward (2008), it was determined that many girls and young women are dissatisfied with this bodies because of the increasingly thin images dominating the media, magazines and television program and the rewards that are given to these women.
Further reports indicate that according to communications theories, repeated exposure to media content leads viewers to begin to accept what is viewed as reality and that this beauty is linked to the women’s ideal of normative and central to attractiveness. (Grabe et. al, 2008, p. 460).
The Term Paper on Body Image Media Ideal Women
... goes on further to suggest that body image processing is the key to understanding how television images affect adolescent girl's body image attitudes and behaviors (Botta, 1999). ... ideals (Botta, 1999). The present study seeks to examine the influence of exposure to media ideal body images and the awareness and internalization of ...
Using an experimental research design method Grabe et. al. (2008) tested whether women felt worse about their bodies after being exposed to media that included thin models in comparison to exposure to other types of image.
In this particular experiment the women were shown a series of magazines or television advertisements that contained either images of the thin-ideal body or images that are considered neutral and the respondents were asked to complete assessments of body image-related constructs. (Grabe et. al. , 2008 p. 461) Further according to Grabe et. al. (2008), finding among both adolescent and adult women indicate that participants who viewed magazine ads featuring the thin-ideal body type reported significantly greater body dissatisfaction than others that viewed neutral ads.
In another study that looked at the impact of television exposure on adolescent girls in Fiji, it was found that according to Becker, Burwell, Gilman, Herzog, & Hamburg (2002), that key indicators of disordered eating were significantly more prevalent following exposure and that the participant’s interest in weight loss came as a result of seeing models on television.
According to Dohnt & Tiggeman (2006), there have been a number of studies that have researched peer and media influences in preadolescents and although the aim of the present study is to examine media influence on the dolescent ages 12-16 year old, the findings from Dohnt & Tiggemann (2006) indicated that findings were similar to those of adolescents. Further findings indicated that the major aim of this study s to examine the prospective contribution of peer and media influences to the development of body satisfaction and self-esteem and the highlighted findings indicated that “young girls also live in an appearance –focused environment in which the thin ideal body image is transmitted through multiple sources such as peers and the media.
The results of this study indicated that television viewing predicts disordered eating in preadolescent girls without yet influencing their current body ideal. (Harrison et. l, 2006 p. 162) The last study examined media exposure and disordered eating. Irving (2001), stated reported that children ages eight to eighteen spend at least 6 ? hours daily using computers, watching television, playing video games, and is expressed to approximately 3,000 advertisements. Many studies confirm that exposure to the media influences behavior and attitudes. (Irving, 2001, p. 259) This study also indicated that the impact of the thin beauty ideal on women’s body-related attitudes and behaviors has been the participant of investigation for the awhile. (Irving, 2001, p. 259).
The Essay on Residency Programs Media Survey Information
In Michael Rich MD and Miriam Baron s MD study, Child Health in the Information Age: Media Education of Pediatricians, they conduct a survey of 209 pediatric residency programs. This survey compares with and updates information in the 1986 survey The Impact of Television on Children: Current Pediatric Training Practices. Many questions were designed to elicit comparable information as the previous ...
In particular the “hypothesis explored is that increasingly thin standard of female beauty has led to increases in weight and shape preoccupation, dieting, and disordered eating in girls and women. ” (Irving, 2001 p. 260) Subsequently, the purpose of this research is to determine not only if does TV media does have an impact on body image in adolescent girls between the ages of 12 -16; but also is there a correlation between the hours spent watching television, the programs watched, and the effect both have on body image or the dissatisfaction of body image. Methodology Operational Definitions
In this study adolescent girls are defined as girls ages 12-16. This definition is supported by the FDA in reference to pediatric/adolescent clinical trials (FDA, 2004).
All participants have an active, primary diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa and were deemed able to participate in the research study by their treatment team prior to participation. The effect of body image will be defined by the results of the participants to Rosenberg’s Self Esteem Scale and Strunkard’s Body Figure Scale. The type and amount of TV media exposure will be measured by the survey composed by the researchers.
The TV media survey is based on the TV media survey created by Schooler, Ward, Merriwether & Caruthers for their 2004 study. Variables The study will utilize a multiple regression to explain the variation of one variable, the criterion variable (the effect on the body image) based on variation in a set of predictor variables (varying amounts of TV exposure and programs).
Participants From a convenience sample, 28 adolescent girls (ages 12-16) with an active, primary diagnosis of anorexia nervosa were recruited for this study.
The participants were volunteers from a nationally recognized hospital for women and girls with OCD and/ or an eating disorder. This hospital has two locations, one on the East coast, the other on the West coast. This study selected 14 adolescent girls from each location, to represent the East and West regions of the United States. Ethical considerations and the human rights of the participants were maintained regarding privacy, informed consent, anonymity and protection from harm. With regards to informed consent, the researchers attained consent from both the legal guardian of the participant, and the participant.
The Term Paper on Body Obsession In The Media
Melissa Will yard November 29, 1999 English 1201 Body Obsession in the Media In a world where image seems to be everything, it's hard not to pay attention to the way you look. Body Image is a quickly growing fad all over the world today. Everyone wants to be that "Victoria Secret" model or the buff guy on the cover of GQ magazine. The problem is some people go the wrong way about obtaining that ...
Thirty patients at the West facility met the criteria of having an active primary diagnosis of anorexia nervosa and were girls ages 12-16. The researchers met with the lead counselor at the West location to determine which of the 30 patients solicited, were high risk patients. Based upon the treatment history of the 30 patients and their results from treatment, 16 were eliminated. The researchers surveyed the remaining 14 participants within the span of two weeks. Of the 14 patients, 8 were Caucasian, 3 African American, and 3 of Hispanic descent. were age 12, 5 age 13, 2 age 14, 1 age 15, 2 age 16. At the East facility 14 of 25 patients were selected to participate in Eastern regional study, with the elimination of 9 patients who were considered high risk. Of the 14 patients at the East location, 5 were African American, 6 were Caucasian, and 3 of Hispanic descent. 2 age 12, 3 age 13, 6 age 14, and 3 age 16. Although the sample population for this study was adolescent females of various ethnicities, ethnicity was not a factor of consideration for this study. Procedure
Three researchers spent three weeks first in Arizona at the West facility and then in Virginia at the East facility. Once the participants were selected, their legal guardians were contacted and given a brief summary of the research study. Both participants and their legal guardians had to agree and sign a consent form. If agreeable, participants and their legal guardians were given a consent form, and the signed forms were collected. Participants were surveyed at the facility (East/West coast) respectively, which was believed to be the most comfortable and neutral setting.
Surveys were proctored by the researchers. Each participant was asked to sit with a researcher (of which 3 were present), one on one for 60 minutes to complete their TV media survey and the Strunkard Body Figure Scale, followed by a 20 min session to complete the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. The researchers remained present to answer any questions that the participant had about the surveys and to conduct the debriefing. The researchers surveyed 14 participants within the span of two weeks. The last week was spent transposing data into the Unscrambler for data analysis.
The Report on Media Images of Women
Media Images of Women The creation of woman according to a Hindu myth: “When Twastri came to the creation of woman, he found that he had exhausted his materials in the making of man and that no solid elements were left After profound meditation he did as follows: – He took the weeping of clouds and the fickleness of winds, the roundness of the moon and the gaiety of sunbeams. He gathered the ...
After completion of the surveys and debriefing, patients were given $50. 00 compensation. Materials This research utilized three survey/scales. All were self report. The first scale was the Rosenberg’s Self Esteem Scale. This scale is a tool for assessing global self-esteem. The self esteem scale is composed of ten statements recorded in a self-report measure. The statements pertain to self-worth and self-acceptance and participants are given a four-point scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree” to record their responses.
Rosenberg’s Self Esteem Scale has a high level of reliability and validity, particularly with the adolescent population (Crandal, 1973; Lorenzo-Hernandez & Oullette, 1998).
The second scale utilized was the Strunkard’s Body Figure Scale. The Strunkard’s Body Figure scale is used to assesses body image. It portrays nine female silhouettes depicting body size ranging from severe emaciation (“1”) to severe obesity (“9”), participants were asked to indicate: “your current size and shape” (current); “the size and shape you would most like to be” (ideal); and “the size and shape you feel television media portrays as most attractive” (attractive).
In order to identify current body image researchers take ideal body size and compare to current body size and “attractive body size”. The results were used to calculate correlations between the amount and types of TV watched, and negative body image. This scale has been shown to have a high level of reliability and validity in numerous research studies with varying populations (e. g. , Fallon & Rozin, 1985; Tiggemann, 1992).
The final survey was the survey- regarding TV media exposure.
The survey included questions concerning the daily duration of TV media exposure of each participant beginning at zero (for no TV media exposure) increasing with three hour increments. The participants were also asked to identify their favorite type of TV media (ie. Sports shows, reality TV, soap operas, comedy TV), their favorite TV shows and favorite TV personalities. The TV media survey is based on the TV media survey created by Schooler, Ward, Merriwether & Caruthers for their 2004 study. Design The research design utilized in this study could be described as a correlational multivariate design.
The Review on The Effects on Body Image from the Mass Media
... study, the Body Parts Satisfaction Scale, and a body image attitudes ... body perfect" ideals in the media have a negative impact on body image ... study would include visual surveys with written questionnaires. Participants ... body dissatisfaction were observed (Heinberg & Thompson, 1995). Participants receiving high marks on these measures developed considerably more depression subsequent to exposure ...
As previously mentioned, the researchers will utilize a multiple regression to explain the variation of one variable, the criterion variable (the effect on the body image) based on variation in a set of predictor variables (varying amounts of TV exposure and programs).
When measuring the correlation the researchers will use a Person product-moment correlation (Pearson R).
This is used to indicate the magnitude and direction of correlational relationship between variables (i. e. the effect on the body image and the varying amounts of TV exposure and programs).
Limitations
A limitation may be a whether or not the participants responded to the survey questions regarding their current level of exposure to TV media, or the level of exposure during the onset of the eating disorder. The participants are currently residents of a treatment facility, where TV media exposure is limited due to a rigid treatment program/ agenda. Participants may have also been apprehensive about answering survey questions candidly, for fear of parental intervention resulting from the apparent correlation between the amount and type of TV media exposure and body image.
Many participants expressed that they enjoy watching TV, and although it has an effect on their body image, it is very enjoyable and entertaining. Another limitation is that this was a convenience sample, so the sample is not representative of the demographic population of the United States. Also, as patients are at different levels in the program, they may have interpreted their present body image versus their body image before participation in the program with a measurable difference. Implications for Further Research
There is a direct correlation between the amount and type of TV watched and body image. Adolescent females are more obsessed with weight loss today than ever. TV bombards them with pictures of the ideal image of beauty. In most cases, this image is unattainable through natural means. The publishing of studies such as this one, can educate parents of the possible risks of TV media exposure, and may elicit an intervention before the onset of Anorexia Nervosa.
