The relationship between reading beauty and fashion magazines and the use of pathogenic dieting methods among adolescent females.
This study examined the relationship between reading women's beauty and fashion magazines and the use of pathogenic dieting methods (laxatives, appetite suppressants/diet pills, skipping two meals a day, intentional vomiting, and restricting calories to 1,200 or less each day) among 502 high school females. Weak to moderate positive associations were found between reading frequency and each of these unhealthful practices except the use of laxatives. When controlling for anxiety about weight and frequency of regular exercise, however, the original bivariate relations between reading frequency and skipping two meals a day, and reading and intentional vomiting, disappeared. Replication and weak specification effects were found when examining the relationships between reading and taking appetite suppressant/weight control pills, and reading and restricting calories, under the control conditions. These findings suggest that two of the most common adolescent dieting methods--restricting calories and taking diet pills--appear to be influenced by the reading of women's beauty and fashion magazines.
Thomsen
Steven R
SR
Department of Communication, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA. steven_thomsen@byu.edu
Weber
Michelle M
MM
Brown
Lora Beth
LB
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects; D001504:Beauty; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002400:Cathartics / Q000009:adverse effects; D003020:Clothing; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011932:Reading; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013997:Time Factors; D014839:Vomiting / Q000523:psychology
D001067:Appetite Depressants; D002400:Cathartics