The thin ideal, depression and eating disorders in women.
It is proposed that a cultural ideal of thinness for women causes depression at a higher rate among women than among men. This model accounts for five currently unintegrated trends in the epidemiology of depression. It explains why: (1) twice as many women as men are likely to be depressed; (2) this sex difference emerges at puberty; (3) this sex difference is only found in western countries; (4) there is more depression today; (5) the average age of onset for depression is younger now than in the past. Four parallel trends in eating disorders can also be accounted for by the same factor.
McCarthy
M
M
Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania 19140.
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D012649:Self Concept; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology*