title: Is athletic really ideal? An examination of the mediating role of body dissatisfaction in predicting disordered eating and compulsive exercise.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Investigations into female body image have suggested that rather than thinness, preference is now being given to a female "athletic ideal" characterised by a toned abdomen, firmer lower body and muscular upper body. This study sought to investigate a) whether greater internalization of the athletic-ideal is associated with higher body dissatisfaction, dieting, bulimic symptoms and compulsive exercise, and b) whether body dissatisfaction mediates the relationship between athletic-ideal internalization and the disordered eating and exercise behaviours of dieting, bulimic symptoms and compulsive exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 388 females aged between 17 and 35years. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires measuring athletic-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, compulsive exercise and bulimic symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Athletic-ideal internalization was not found to be associated with body dissatisfaction, but was found to predict dieting, bulimic symptoms and compulsive exercise directly. Body dissatisfaction did not mediate the relationship between athletic-ideal internalization and any of the disordered eating and exercise behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study was limited by its cross sectional design which precluded conclusions being drawn about the direction of causality and temporal associations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Athletic-ideal internalization, while not associated with body dissatisfaction, was associated with a range of disordered eating and exercise behaviours. Results from the study suggest that the female athletic-ideal is an equally unrealistic and problematic ideal for women to strive towards.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Psychology and the Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt Campus, Mount Gravatt, QLD 4122, Australia. Electronic address: hayley.bell3@griffithuni.edu.au.
authors.forename: Hayley S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Psychology and the Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt Campus, Mount Gravatt, QLD 4122, Australia. Electronic address: c.donovan@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Caroline L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Psychology and the Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt Campus, Mount Gravatt, QLD 4122, Australia. Electronic address: robin.ramme@griffithuni.edu.au.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramme
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Athletic; Body dissatisfaction; Disordered eating and exercise behaviours; Ideal