Cultural expectations of thinness in women: a partial replication and update of magazine content.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if magazine articles in mainstream women's magazines, continue to emphasize weight reduction.


METHODS
Articles devoted to diet, exercise, and cosmetic surgery were tabulated from January 1989 to April 2007 in eight popular women's magazines.


RESULTS
The number of cosmetic surgery articles has substantially increased since 1989, while exercise articles continue to decline. Diet for weight loss articles have progressively decreased since 1989, with a marginal increase between 2003-2007.


CONCLUSIONS
The upward trend in cosmetic surgery articles indicates that cosmetic surgery is now viewed as an alternate means to diet and exercise that women may choose to alter their physical appearance. One of the implications of moving to cosmetic surgery as a means to conform is that when it comes to female beautification, there are few extremes.
Saraceni
R
R
University of Calgary, Division of Applied Psychology, 2500 University Drive, NW. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4. rsaracen@ucalgary.ca
Russell-Mayhew
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D000329:Advertising; D001290:Attitude / Q000208:ethnology*; D001828:Body Image; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012928:Social Desirability; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*