Slim Body Ideals and “Nutritional Sins”

How looking at ideally slim models can influence how many sweets are eaten by female adolescents

Eva-Maria Kropp, Christoph Klotter, Fulda

Slim body ideals make female adolescents less satisfied with their bodies. It has been suggested that slim body ideals have a direct effect on eating behaviour by indirectly propagating the prohibition of high calorie meals. We have tested this hypothesis by measuring the consumption of sweets in 13- to 15-year old girls in association with slimness ideals.

It was found that girls exposed to slim body ideals in the form of music videos consumed ca. 40 % fewer calories within a period of 20 min than the comparator group who had been shown music videos without slim body ideals. It appears to be really the case that the slim ideals of beauty can support restrictive eating and impair natural regulation of hunger and satiation.

Keywords: Adolescent eating behaviour, beauty ideals in the media, slimness ideals, body satisfaction, regulation of hunger and satiation

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs Umschau 11/09 ab Seite 626.