Media images of stereotypically attrative w m n are often cited as contributory factors in body size &tortion and body dissatisfaction. In fwt, recent research suggests that acute exposure to such images may exacerbate body distortion in women with eating disorders. The present study examined the effects of acute exposure to images of stereotypical attraction (thin pictures) compared to images of overweight individd (fat pictures) in both men and women. Twenty men and 20 women completed measures of body satrsfaction before and after viewing images of either thin or owerweigh individuals matched for the subject's gender. The results suggested that subjects of both gender reported feeling less satisfied with their bodies as measured by rating sc&s (e.g. feeling fat, feeling amactive), body silhouettes and body size estimation, after viewing the thin pictures and showed improved body satisfaction after viewing the overweight pictures. The results also suggested that this response was greater in the f e d than in the d subjects for some of the measures (e.g. feeling fat, feeling tuned) and was unrelated to levels of restrained eating. The results are discussed in terms of the role of the media in determining body image and the possible use of such images in clinical practice. CCC 1072-4133/96/030171-12 8 1996 by John Wiley & Sons. Ltd. and Eating Disorders Association European Eating Disorders Review J. @den and K. Mundray ~~ 1978; Bowden et d., 1989; see Hsu and Sobkiewicz (1991) for a comprehensive review). Research also indicates that women who express concerns for their body shape selectively process words relating to body size (Ben-Tovim and Walker, 1991; Fairburn et al., 1991; Ogden and Greville, 1993).
Concerns about weight and shape are traditionally associated with women. Research indicates that women are more likely than men to engage in both safe and dangerous food restriction strategies, to show a discrepancy between their real and ideal weight, to have actively dieted during the past 6 months, to participate in organized weight loss programmes and to prefer to be thinner