Warning labels on fashion images: Short‐ and longer‐term effects on body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and eating behavior

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

<div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S1">  </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d554100e142">Objective:</h5> <p id="P1">Fashion warning labels that caution readers about digitally altered images have been recommended and adopted by several countries to prevent body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. This study investigated the short- and longer-term influence of fashion warning labels on affect, body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and snack consumption using a randomized-controlled experiment. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S2">  </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d554100e147">Method:</h5> <p id="P2">Female undergraduates ( <i>n</i> = 118) were randomized to view and rate responses to fashion images either with or without a warning label. They then consumed snacks and completed questionnaires. 64 participants (54%) completed follow-up online surveys asking them to view and rate new fashion images with or without warning labels once per week for four weeks. Primary outcomes were affect, body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and kilocalories consumed. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S3">  </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d554100e155">Results:</h5> <p id="P3">Overall, fashion warning labels had no short-term effects on affect, body dissatisfaction, or kilocalories consumed in the lab. However, individuals who reported engaging in restrictive eating consumed fewer kilocalories when exposed to advertisements with warning labels ( <i>M</i> = 170.33, <i>SD</i> = 120.78) versus no labels ( <i>M</i> = 286.46, <i>SD</i> = 166.30), <i>p</i> = .008. Warning labels also had no protective effects after repeated exposure over four weeks on affect or eating disorder symptoms, and significantly increased appearance orientation ( <i>p</i> = .001). </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="S4">  </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d554100e179">Discussion:</h5> <p id="P4">Warning labels on media images are unlikely to be an effective policy tool to prevent negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder symptoms, and, in some cases, may exacerbate these concerns. </p> </div>

Related collections

Most cited references 34

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Risk and maintenance factors for eating pathology: a meta-analytic review.

Eric Stice (2002)

This meta-analytic review of prospective and experimental studies reveals that several accepted risk factors for eating pathology have not received empirical support (e.g., sexual abuse) or have received contradictory support (e.g.. dieting). There was consistent support for less-accepted risk factors(e.g., thin-ideal internalization) as well as emerging evidence for variables that potentiate and mitigate the effects of risk factors(e.g., social support) and factors that predict eating pathology maintenance(e.g., negative affect). In addition, certain multivariate etiologic and maintenance models received preliminary support. However, the predictive power of individual risk and maintenance factors was limited, suggesting it will be important to search for additional risk and maintenance factors, develop more comprehensive multivariate models, and address methodological limitations that attenuate effects.

0 comments Cited 452 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: A meta-analytic review

Lisa Groesz, Michael P Levine, Sarah K Murnen (2002)

The effect of experimental manipulations of the thin beauty ideal, as portrayed in the mass media, on female body image was evaluated using meta-analysis.

0 comments Cited 298 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Psychometric evaluation of the eating disorder examination and eating disorder examination-questionnaire: a systematic review of the literature.

Kelly Berg, Carol Peterson, Patricia Frazier … (2012)

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the reliability of scores on the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and to examine the validity of their use as measures of eating disorder symptoms. Articles describing the psychometric properties of the EDE and EDE-Q were identified in a systematic search of major computer databases and a review of reference lists. Articles were selected based on a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fifteen studies were identified that examined the psychometrics of the EDE, whereas 10 studies were found that examined the psychometrics of the EDE-Q. Both instruments demonstrated reliability of scores. There is evidence that scores on the EDE and EDE-Q correlate with scores on measures of similar constructs and support for using the instruments to distinguish between cases and non-cases. Additional research is needed to broaden the generalizability of the findings. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.