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Eating disordered behaviors and media exposure

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Abstract

Background

This study examined this relationship between eating disordered behaviors and exposure to ideal-type media in a sample of South African university students, who could be expected to have reasonably high levels of media exposure. Possible underlying reasons for this complex relationship were also investigated.

Method

It examined the relationship via both quantitative (using a questionnaire that included the EAT-26 and a media composite variable) and qualitative methods (interviews) in the sample.

Results

In the quantitative part, sex and level of media exposure significantly predicted scores on the EAT-26. Women obtained scores that indicated they were more “at risk” for anorexia nervosa than men, especially women with higher levels of media exposure. In the qualitative part of the study grounded theory was used to explore how this relationship was formed. Results indicated that numerous factors, some related to the media, predispose women to disordered eating behaviors. The interviewees were then more likely to use ideal-type media heavily to sustain their disordered eating behaviors. Heavy use of the media led participants to attempt a number of strategies to change their appearance to resemble those in the media, with various degrees of success.

Conclusion

The model developed by the qualitative research indicated that the media are not necessarily always the cause of pathological eating, but that they interact with other factors in the development of symptoms of anorexia nervosa for these women.

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Notes

  1. In South Africa, the old “racial” categories of Apartheid are still used to monitor the implementation of employee equity policies, for example. We use the categories (black for black Africans, mixed-race for people previously classified as “colored”, Asian for “Asian”, and white for Caucasians) as a broad indicator of ethnic origin.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based on work supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Any opinion, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Tara Carney MA & Johann Louw PhD

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  1. Tara Carney MA
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  2. Johann Louw PhD
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Correspondence to Tara Carney MA.

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Carney, T., Louw, J. Eating disordered behaviors and media exposure. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 957–966 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0120-9

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