Effects of photographs of lower-and higher-body mass index fashion models on body dissatisfaction of young women

Social comparisons with the "ultra-slender ideal" female body types may be contributing to the rising incidence of eating disorders. Research regarding the effect of slender models in media on body dissatisfaction of women is contradictory. This study examined the effect of viewing recent, professional-quality photographs of either low-or high-body mass index (BMI) models on body dissatisfaction of young adult women (n = 415) of differing races, BMIs, and disordered eating risk. Viewing low-BMI fashion models' photographs reduced body dissatisfaction among women overall, healthy weight women not at risk for eating disorders, and white women at risk for eating disorders. Viewing high-BMI models' images reduced body dissatisfaction among women overall, especially among healthy weight white, black, and Asian women and healthy weight women in the upper-BMI median.