Relations of Eating Disorder Symptomology with Perceptions of Pressures from Mother, Peers, and Media in Adolescent Girls and Boys

Abstract

This study examined the relations of adolescents' perceptions of pressures from the media, their mothers, and their peers with the development of eating disorder symptomology. Participants were 333 male and female adolescents in high school grades 10-12 from a suburban area of the Midwestern US. During the school day, students completed Likert-type scales of perceived pressures and eating disorder symptomology. Canonical correlations showed that students who perceived greater pressures across all three environmental contexts also reported more eating disorder symptomology. However, the patterns of relations between the perceived pressures and specific eating disorder symptoms differed by gender. Implications for future research and prevention programs are discussed.

Media Influence on Drive for Thinness and Drive for Muscularity

“…The destructiveness of media's influence is also present in men. After viewing images of men who possess the ideal male body (e.g., large muscles, tone physiques, lean stomachs, and broad chins), U.S. college men's self-esteem decreases (Hobza & Rochlen, 2009;Peterson, Paulson, & Williams, 2007).…”

Parental attitudes, body image disturbance and disordered eating amongst adolescents and young adults: A review

“…It has been proposed that these sources of influence, combined, are stronger predictors of body shape and weight concerns than any single one (Dunkley, Wertheim, & Paxton, 2001;Levine, Smolak, & Hayden, 1994;Peterson, Paulson, & Williams, 2007). This conception has led to the suggestion of the existence of a 'Subculture of dieting' (Levine et al, 1994), in which media, parents and peers combine to convey the importance of slenderness.…”

“…Some authors have reported girls to receive more pressure (Ata et al, 2007;Peterson et al, 2007;Presnell et al, 2004), whereas others have reported no gender differences in encouragement to diet and lose weight (Meesters et al, 2007;Vincent & McCabe, 2000;Wertheim et al, 2002). These seemingly contradictory findings could be the reflection of several phenomena.…”

Gender Differences in Parental Influences on Adolescent Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating

“…Body image and eating concerns are present in western society among both male and female adolescents, with increasing support for the role sociocultural pressures play in their development (Ata et al 2007;Muris et al 2005;Peterson et al 2007). However, there is emerging evidence of gender differences in the relationship between sociocultural influences and body shape and eating concerns (McCabe and Ricciardelli 2003;Peterson et al 2007).…”