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LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Using average size models in
advertising could protect women from body dissatisfaction, according to new
research.
And it would be as effective at selling products as stick thin models,
psychologists say.
The study found that women for whom appearance is important become more
depressed with their bodies after viewing very skinny girls.
In contrast, seeing 'normal' attractive women was not linked with these
negative images - and both types of females were equally successful in
advertising.
The research also shows the greater the difference between the way women would
ideally like to look and the way they believe they actually look, the more
vulnerable they are to the negative effects of media exposure.
The findings, due to be presented at a British Psychological Society
conference at the University of Edinburgh today challenge the belief that
thin, glamorous, perfect women in advertising are socially desirable and
"sell" products to the consumer more successfully than other body
types.
Dr
Helga Dittmar, of the University of Sussex, and Dr
Emma Halliwell, from the University of the West of England,
recruited 400 female students at each university and asked them to give
information about how they feel about their own bodies.
Then they analysed their reactions to various images at three different
stages, and compared them to their original self-image.
Although unrealistically thin young women are often used in advertisements for
everything from soft drinks to cars, there has been no previous research to
show that using such images actually increases sales of any product.
In fact, Dr Dittmar said previous research has already shown that such
advertising contributes to negative body images among young girls and women.
Dr Dittmar, who has also carried out research into the tactics of door to door
salesmen, said: "Body dissatisfaction can produce extreme body shaping
behaviours, such as eating disorders.
"Women and girls cannot help being exposed to ultra thin models in
advertising, whose body size is unrealistic and unhealthy.
"There is good evidence already that exposure to these unhealthy models
leads a large proportion of women to feel dissatisfied with their own bodies.
"We still know little about who is most vulnerable, why or how these
effects occur, and how we can best protect body esteem."
She added: "Results from our studies suggest that average size attractive
models are equally effective in advertising as ultra thin models.
"But we need to conduct wider research before we can be confident that
average size models have good advertising effectiveness, but avoid increasing
women's body dissatisfaction.
"We hope that the research identifies factors that make women
particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of the thin ideal, and helps
with the development of ways to protect women and girls."
Dr Halliwell added: "The findings from our current research will assist
in developing interventions to protect women from body dissatisfaction, as
well as informing debates about the use of ultra thin models in the
media."