Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102022
Rachel F. Rodgers , Katherine Laveway , Mikki Lilley , Melanie Mifsud , Jo R. Doley
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals experience disproportionate rates of body image concerns and eating disorders. Several useful theoretical frameworks have been developed to account for these increased rates, that, together, highlight the role of appearance concerns and negative affect as two principal factors in the development of these concerns. From these perspectives, eating disorders in TGD people may be understood as stemming from behavioral attempts to (1) modify appearance to bring the body closer to capital-bearing appearance ideals and/or avoid discrimination and objectification, and (2) regulate the negative affect related to daily stress, discrimination, trauma, and oppression. These theoretical pathways provide a framework for refining risk and protection models of body image concerns and eating disorders in TGD people, with the goal of advancing identification, prevention, and treatment, and improving the prioritization of resource allocation.
{"title":"Risk for body image concerns and eating disorders in transgender and gender diverse people: A theoretical overview","authors":"Rachel F. Rodgers , Katherine Laveway , Mikki Lilley , Melanie Mifsud , Jo R. Doley","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals experience disproportionate rates of body image concerns and eating disorders. Several useful theoretical frameworks have been developed to account for these increased rates, that, together, highlight the role of appearance concerns and negative affect as two principal factors in the development of these concerns. From these perspectives, eating disorders in TGD people may be understood as stemming from behavioral attempts to (1) modify appearance to bring the body closer to capital-bearing appearance ideals and/or avoid discrimination and objectification, and (2) regulate the negative affect related to daily stress, discrimination, trauma, and oppression. These theoretical pathways provide a framework for refining risk and protection models of body image concerns and eating disorders in TGD people, with the goal of advancing identification, prevention, and treatment, and improving the prioritization of resource allocation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102022"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102004
Jun Lin, Jade Portingale, Isabel Krug
Mukbangs (i.e., ‘eating broadcast’) is a food-related social media trend often featuring a host consuming large amounts of food. This pilot study used the first pre-post experimental design to examine the immediate effects of watching a mukbang video on eating intentions, body image, affect, and anxiety, while exploring behavioural impulsivity as a potential moderator. Participants recruited from an Australian university (N = 327; M age = 19.5 years, SD = 2.8; 59.6 % female) completed a baseline survey assessing demographic information and current mukbang engagement (e.g., frequency, duration). Participants then completed a computerised paradigm (Go/No-Go Task) as a measurement of behavioural impulsivity. Following the task, participants’ state-level urges to engage in disordered eating (DE), body dissatisfaction (BD), affect, and anxiety were measured prior and post-exposure to a 10-minute mukbang video (featuring a gender-matched mukbang host). Results showed significant reductions in DE urges and positive affect following exposure. Specifically, females showed a decrease in dietary restraint, and males in urge to overeat and exercise for weight control. No significant changes were observed for BD, negative affect, or anxiety, and no moderating effects emerged for behavioural impulsivity. These findings suggest that the effects of mukbang exposure may vary across specific DE urges and differ by gender, as examined in separate analyses. The absence of impulsivity effects further implies that trait impulsivity may have a limited influence in brief, low-stakes media contexts. Future research should explore potential moderators such as social comparison and habituation and employ longitudinal designs to evaluate the cumulative impact of mukbang viewing.
{"title":"Virtual feasts and their impact: A pilot study on the influence of mukbang videos on eating behaviours, body image, and emotional wellbeing","authors":"Jun Lin, Jade Portingale, Isabel Krug","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Mukbangs</em> (i.e., ‘eating broadcast’) is a food-related social media trend often featuring a host consuming large amounts of food. This pilot study used the first pre-post experimental design to examine the immediate effects of watching a mukbang video on eating intentions, body image, affect, and anxiety, while exploring behavioural impulsivity as a potential moderator. Participants recruited from an Australian university (<em>N</em> = 327; <em>M</em> age = 19.5 years, <em>SD</em> = 2.8; 59.6 % female) completed a baseline survey assessing demographic information and current mukbang engagement (e.g., frequency, duration). Participants then completed a computerised paradigm (Go/No-Go Task) as a measurement of behavioural impulsivity. Following the task, participants’ state-level urges to engage in disordered eating (DE), body dissatisfaction (BD), affect, and anxiety were measured prior and post-exposure to a 10-minute mukbang video (featuring a gender-matched mukbang host). Results showed significant reductions in DE urges and positive affect following exposure. Specifically, females showed a decrease in dietary restraint, and males in urge to overeat and exercise for weight control. No significant changes were observed for BD, negative affect, or anxiety, and no moderating effects emerged for behavioural impulsivity. These findings suggest that the effects of mukbang exposure may vary across specific DE urges and differ by gender, as examined in separate analyses. The absence of impulsivity effects further implies that trait impulsivity may have a limited influence in brief, low-stakes media contexts. Future research should explore potential moderators such as social comparison and habituation and employ longitudinal designs to evaluate the cumulative impact of mukbang viewing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145600361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102006
Bijie Tie , Anne J. Maheux , Yang V. Xu , Peng Yao , Pengcheng Wang , Jinbo He , Jiang Qiu
An increasing body of research indicates that online appearance preoccupation may adversely affect adolescents’ well-being. However, longitudinal evidence examining the relationship between appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC) and subsequent subjective well-being (SWB) remains limited, and it is unclear how this association varies according to individual characteristics. Therefore, this longitudinal study examined the association between ASMC and SWB among adolescents, explored age and gender differences, and evaluated the moderating role of functionality appreciation (FA). A total of 1103 Chinese adolescents (50.1 % boys; baseline Mage = 14.90 years) provided data at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2). ASMC, SWB, and FA were measured using self-report questionnaires. Cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), multiple-group analyses, and moderation analyses were conducted. The CLPM showed that ASMC T1 was associated with lower SWB T2, with no reverse effect. This effect remained robust after controlling for social media use. Significant age group differences emerged: the association was stronger among early adolescents (12–15 years) than among mid-to-late adolescents (16–18 years); no gender differences emerged. Moreover, higher FA strengthened the negative cross-lagged association between ASMC T1 and SWB T2. These findings highlight a negative longitudinal association between ASMC and SWB, underscore the nuanced interplay between online appearance concerns and body functionality in adolescent well-being, and indicate the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these potential risks.
{"title":"Beyond screen-time: Exploring how appearance-related social media consciousness shapes Chinese adolescents’ subjective well-being through individual differences in age, gender, and functionality appreciation","authors":"Bijie Tie , Anne J. Maheux , Yang V. Xu , Peng Yao , Pengcheng Wang , Jinbo He , Jiang Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An increasing body of research indicates that online appearance preoccupation may adversely affect adolescents’ well-being. However, longitudinal evidence examining the relationship between appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC) and subsequent subjective well-being (SWB) remains limited, and it is unclear how this association varies according to individual characteristics. Therefore, this longitudinal study examined the association between ASMC and SWB among adolescents, explored age and gender differences, and evaluated the moderating role of functionality appreciation (FA). A total of 1103 Chinese adolescents (50.1 % boys; baseline <em>M</em><sub>age</sub> = 14.90 years) provided data at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2). ASMC, SWB, and FA were measured using self-report questionnaires. Cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), multiple-group analyses, and moderation analyses were conducted. The CLPM showed that ASMC T1 was associated with lower SWB T2, with no reverse effect. This effect remained robust after controlling for social media use. Significant age group differences emerged: the association was stronger among early adolescents (12–15 years) than among mid-to-late adolescents (16–18 years); no gender differences emerged. Moreover, higher FA strengthened the negative cross-lagged association between ASMC T1 and SWB T2. These findings highlight a negative longitudinal association between ASMC and SWB, underscore the nuanced interplay between online appearance concerns and body functionality in adolescent well-being, and indicate the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these potential risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102006"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145685477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102028
L. Monique Ward , Enrica Bridgewater , Miranda Reynaga
Female TV characters commonly represent a Eurocentric beauty ideal characterized by thinness, light skin, long hair, and a curvaceous body. As this ideal does not apply to many Black women, who are also frequent media consumers, theories might anticipate that they would feel deeply inadequate by comparison. However, evidence is limited and mixed, suggesting that associations may depend on the body image domain, the cast’s racial makeup, and the viewer’s ethnic/racial identity. To test these suppositions, we surveyed 515 Black women ages 18–40 on their consumption of popular TV programs featuring White and Black casts and four domains of body image: body size concerns, self-sexualization, body appreciation, and acceptance of Eurocentric beauty norms. We also examined the potential moderating role of ethnic/racial identity. As expected, results differed across body image variables, and cast racial makeup was influential. Viewing casts dominated by Eurocentric appearance norms predicted greater body size concerns; viewing casts featuring more Black women predicted greater body appreciation and less body surveillance. Viewing both types of content was associated with greater self-sexualization. Participants’ ethnic/racial identity did not moderate these relations. These results underscore the need for more research on these issues and more attention from showrunners on the impact of TV content on Black women’s relationships with their bodies.
{"title":"From sexualization to appreciation: Contributions of television content featuring Black or White female characters to diverse body concerns among Black women","authors":"L. Monique Ward , Enrica Bridgewater , Miranda Reynaga","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Female TV characters commonly represent a Eurocentric beauty ideal characterized by thinness, light skin, long hair, and a curvaceous body. As this ideal does not apply to many Black women, who are also frequent media consumers, theories might anticipate that they would feel deeply inadequate by comparison. However, evidence is limited and mixed, suggesting that associations may depend on the body image domain, the cast’s racial makeup, and the viewer’s ethnic/racial identity. To test these suppositions, we surveyed 515 Black women ages 18–40 on their consumption of popular TV programs featuring White and Black casts and four domains of body image: body size concerns, self-sexualization, body appreciation, and acceptance of Eurocentric beauty norms. We also examined the potential moderating role of ethnic/racial identity. As expected, results differed across body image variables, and cast racial makeup was influential. Viewing casts dominated by Eurocentric appearance norms predicted greater body size concerns; viewing casts featuring more Black women predicted greater body appreciation and less body surveillance. Viewing both types of content was associated with greater self-sexualization. Participants’ ethnic/racial identity did not moderate these relations. These results underscore the need for more research on these issues and more attention from showrunners on the impact of TV content on Black women’s relationships with their bodies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102028"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145879360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-19DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102053
Yuzhou Tao , Shaojing Sun , Jinbo He
Short-video social media platforms have emerged as powerful channels for disseminating body image-related content, particularly the thin ideal. Yet much of the existing research has focused on individual-level usage patterns rather than the platform-level mechanisms that shape content exposure. A platform-level perspective, however, is crucial for understanding how body image messages are algorithmically curated and how multimodal features influence audience responses. To address this gap, we developed a computational framework comprising body iconography, communication strategies, and audiovisual aesthetics to investigate thinspiration videos on Douyin (Chinese TikTok). Specifically, integrating computer vision, natural language processing, large language models, and audio signal processing, we extracted textual, visual, and auditory features from 757 trending thinspiration videos tagged with #thin and linked these features to nearly three million associated comments to assess large-scale audience responses. Results showed that trending thinspiration videos promoted the thin-ideal, along with the fit-ideal and beauty-ideal, often with gendered portrayals of the human body. Multimodal features such as body size, evaluative rhetoric (thin-praise, fat-stigma), and specific aesthetic patterns were significantly associated with engagement metrics (likes, comments, reshares) or the prevalence of appearance-focused comments. Gender differences were pronounced: female-focused videos featured smaller body sizes, higher beauty scores, and greater objectification, whereas male-focused videos emphasized muscularity and informational framing. This study advances understanding of body image formation in algorithmically mediated environments and offers a scalable methodological framework for multimodal content analysis. The findings offer insights for content creators, platform regulators, and policymakers to promote healthier digital body image environments.
{"title":"Unraveling the multimodal features and audience responses to thinspiration videos: A computational analysis of Chinese TikTok (Douyin)","authors":"Yuzhou Tao , Shaojing Sun , Jinbo He","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Short-video social media platforms have emerged as powerful channels for disseminating body image-related content, particularly the thin ideal. Yet much of the existing research has focused on individual-level usage patterns rather than the platform-level mechanisms that shape content exposure. A platform-level perspective, however, is crucial for understanding how body image messages are algorithmically curated and how multimodal features influence audience responses. To address this gap, we developed a computational framework comprising body iconography, communication strategies, and audiovisual aesthetics to investigate thinspiration videos on Douyin (Chinese TikTok). Specifically, integrating computer vision, natural language processing, large language models, and audio signal processing, we extracted textual, visual, and auditory features from 757 trending thinspiration videos tagged with #thin and linked these features to nearly three million associated comments to assess large-scale audience responses. Results showed that trending thinspiration videos promoted the thin-ideal, along with the fit-ideal and beauty-ideal, often with gendered portrayals of the human body. Multimodal features such as body size, evaluative rhetoric (thin-praise, fat-stigma), and specific aesthetic patterns were significantly associated with engagement metrics (likes, comments, reshares) or the prevalence of appearance-focused comments. Gender differences were pronounced: female-focused videos featured smaller body sizes, higher beauty scores, and greater objectification, whereas male-focused videos emphasized muscularity and informational framing. This study advances understanding of body image formation in algorithmically mediated environments and offers a scalable methodological framework for multimodal content analysis. The findings offer insights for content creators, platform regulators, and policymakers to promote healthier digital body image environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102053"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146259660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102023
Philippa Granfield , Eva Kemps , Ivanka Prichard
The Body Appreciation Scale-2 for Children (BAS-2C) is a widely used, psychometrically robust measure of body appreciation in children. However, in time-limited or school-based settings, briefer measures may reduce participant burden and improve data quality. This study examined the psychometric properties of two three-item trait short forms of body appreciation among Australian children aged 10–12 years (N = 303), using data from a larger project evaluating a school-based body image intervention. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) and multi-group CFA tested whether the short forms replicated the BAS-2C’s unidimensional, gender invariant factor structure. Further assessments of psychometric properties involved composite reliability (McDonald’s ω), four-week test-retest reliability, construct and convergent validity. For both 3-item forms, findings supported a unidimensional, gender-invariant factor structure. Reliability was acceptable for girls but weaker for boys. Validity evidence was strong, with strong correlations with the 10-item BAS-2C and moderate-to-strong correlations with related constructs of functionality appreciation, self-compassion, and wellbeing. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for both 3-item short forms for brief, group-level use with children aged 10–12, but caution should be applied given the weaker reliability for boys across both short forms. Future research should refine items with a view to enhancing reliability for boys.
{"title":"Psychometric evaluation of Body Appreciation Scale for Children short forms among Australian children","authors":"Philippa Granfield , Eva Kemps , Ivanka Prichard","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Body Appreciation Scale-2 for Children (BAS-2C) is a widely used, psychometrically robust measure of body appreciation in children. However, in time-limited or school-based settings, briefer measures may reduce participant burden and improve data quality. This study examined the psychometric properties of two three-item trait short forms of body appreciation among Australian children aged 10–12 years (<em>N</em> = 303), using data from a larger project evaluating a school-based body image intervention. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) and multi-group CFA tested whether the short forms replicated the BAS-2C’s unidimensional, gender invariant factor structure. Further assessments of psychometric properties involved composite reliability (McDonald’s ω), four-week test-retest reliability, construct and convergent validity. For both 3-item forms, findings supported a unidimensional, gender-invariant factor structure. Reliability was acceptable for girls but weaker for boys. Validity evidence was strong, with strong correlations with the 10-item BAS-2C and moderate-to-strong correlations with related constructs of functionality appreciation, self-compassion, and wellbeing. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for both 3-item short forms for brief, group-level use with children aged 10–12, but caution should be applied given the weaker reliability for boys across both short forms. Future research should refine items with a view to enhancing reliability for boys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102023"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145783458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Athletes face a unique set of environmental, interpersonal, and performance-based appearance pressures that may increase risk for disordered eating. Frequent exposure to idealized body standards and performance expectations, within both athletic and broader sociocultural contexts, has been linked to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating behaviors, which may also be overlooked as “good athlete” behaviors. One framework for understanding such risk factors is the Tripartite Influence Model, which posits that societal appearance-related pressures are associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating via three specific pathways. The current study evaluates and extends the Tripartite Model to identify potential sociocultural pathways to disordered eating symptoms among athletes. The final sample consisted of 334 young adult athletes (73.35% female, 23.35% male, 3.30% another gender). Path analysis evaluated a model with previously supported sociocultural pressures in the general population (family, peers, media), combined with two sport-specific pressures (coaches, teammates) associated with five disordered eating outcomes—body dissatisfaction, binge eating, excessive exercise, restrictive eating, and cognitive restraint—via indirect effects through thin-ideal internalization, athletic-ideal internalization, and appearance comparisons. After minor adjustments to accommodate theoretically justified covariances (e.g., thin-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction), the final model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.96; TLI =.88; RMSEA = 0.075; SRMR = 0.060). Indirect effects revealed that family and media pressures were associated with multiple disordered eating outcomes via internalization and appearance comparison processes, while teammate pressure was indirectly associated with excessive exercise through athletic-ideal internalization, underscoring teammates as a salient source of sport-specific appearance pressure.
{"title":"The tripartite influence model of body image and disordered eating among young adult athletes","authors":"Emma Nyrup Tonsberg , Urvashi Dixit , Rachel Henderson , Jorin Larsen , Rylee Lusich , Caitlyn Hauff , Erica Ahlich","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Athletes face a unique set of environmental, interpersonal, and performance-based appearance pressures that may increase risk for disordered eating. Frequent exposure to idealized body standards and performance expectations, within both athletic and broader sociocultural contexts, has been linked to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating behaviors, which may also be overlooked as “good athlete” behaviors. One framework for understanding such risk factors is the Tripartite Influence Model, which posits that societal appearance-related pressures are associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating via three specific pathways. The current study evaluates and extends the Tripartite Model to identify potential sociocultural pathways to disordered eating symptoms among athletes. The final sample consisted of 334 young adult athletes (73.35% female, 23.35% male, 3.30% another gender). Path analysis evaluated a model with previously supported sociocultural pressures in the general population (family, peers, media), combined with two sport-specific pressures (coaches, teammates) associated with five disordered eating outcomes—body dissatisfaction, binge eating, excessive exercise, restrictive eating, and cognitive restraint—via indirect effects through thin-ideal internalization, athletic-ideal internalization, and appearance comparisons. After minor adjustments to accommodate theoretically justified covariances (e.g., thin-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction), the final model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.96; TLI =.88; RMSEA = 0.075; SRMR = 0.060). Indirect effects revealed that family and media pressures were associated with multiple disordered eating outcomes via internalization and appearance comparison processes, while teammate pressure was indirectly associated with excessive exercise through athletic-ideal internalization, underscoring teammates as a salient source of sport-specific appearance pressure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102050"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102019
Sara Iannattone , Gioia Bottesi , Michela Gatta , Marta Ghisi , Andrea Spoto , Silvia Cerea
Functionality appreciation - a key facet of positive body image - has been associated with several adaptive outcomes, such as low body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) symptoms, and high psychological well-being. However, research on this topic remains limited among Italian adolescents, likely due to the absence of validated tools to assess functionality appreciation in this population. Expanding this line of inquiry is crucial, as adolescence marks a shift toward valuing appearance over functionality, especially within Italy’s highly appearance-oriented culture. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) in a sample of 1289 Italian adolescents (60.8 % girls) aged 13–17 years (M = 15.4 years ± 1.18). Participants completed the FAS together with measures of body appreciation, body surveillance, body dissatisfaction, ED symptoms, and self-esteem. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional model of the FAS, with all 7 items retained. Moreover, the questionnaire demonstrated invariance across sex and age groups (i.e., early vs. middle adolescents). Boys reported significantly higher FAS scores than girls, while no differences emerged between age groups. The FAS also showed excellent internal consistency, as well as good convergent, criterion-related, and incremental validity. Overall, these findings provide robust evidence that the FAS is a psychometrically sound and developmentally appropriate tool for assessing functionality appreciation in Italian boys and girls. Its use may thus support future research on positive body image in adolescence and lay the groundwork for studies exploring its potential relevance in preventive programs.
{"title":"Not just bodies to be viewed, but bodies that do: A study on the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) in Italian adolescents","authors":"Sara Iannattone , Gioia Bottesi , Michela Gatta , Marta Ghisi , Andrea Spoto , Silvia Cerea","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.102019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functionality appreciation - a key facet of positive body image - has been associated with several adaptive outcomes, such as low body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) symptoms, and high psychological well-being. However, research on this topic remains limited among Italian adolescents, likely due to the absence of validated tools to assess functionality appreciation in this population. Expanding this line of inquiry is crucial, as adolescence marks a shift toward valuing appearance over functionality, especially within Italy’s highly appearance-oriented culture. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS) in a sample of 1289 Italian adolescents (60.8 % girls) aged 13–17 years (<em>M</em> = 15.4 years ± 1.18). Participants completed the FAS together with measures of body appreciation, body surveillance, body dissatisfaction, ED symptoms, and self-esteem. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional model of the FAS, with all 7 items retained. Moreover, the questionnaire demonstrated invariance across sex and age groups (i.e., early vs. middle adolescents). Boys reported significantly higher FAS scores than girls, while no differences emerged between age groups. The FAS also showed excellent internal consistency, as well as good convergent, criterion-related, and incremental validity. Overall, these findings provide robust evidence that the FAS is a psychometrically sound and developmentally appropriate tool for assessing functionality appreciation in Italian boys and girls. Its use may thus support future research on positive body image in adolescence and lay the groundwork for studies exploring its potential relevance in preventive programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102019"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145751929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102042
Nadia Craddock , Harriet G. Smith , Jake Linardon , Tracy L. Tylka , Phillippa C. Diedrichs
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming digital, clinical, and cultural landscapes in ways that hold significant implications for body image and eating disorder (ED) prevention. This article outlines how traditional and generative AI technologies influence societal appearance ideals as well as digital environments, including online mental health tools. While AI offers opportunities for early detection, personalized and scalable prevention, and the promotion of more inclusive representation, it also poses ethical and psychological risks, including amplification of harmful appearance ideals, algorithmic bias, and overreliance on technology. This article identifies key research priorities relevant to body image spanning macro-level impacts, emerging use cases, ethics and safety, equity and representation in datasets, public perceptions, and the need for interdisciplinary and participatory governance. As AI becomes embedded in everyday life, its responsible and safe use will be critical to ensuring it does not exacerbate body image concerns or increase ED risk.
{"title":"Existing and future use cases, and safety and ethical considerations for AI in body image, and eating disorder prevention","authors":"Nadia Craddock , Harriet G. Smith , Jake Linardon , Tracy L. Tylka , Phillippa C. Diedrichs","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming digital, clinical, and cultural landscapes in ways that hold significant implications for body image and eating disorder (ED) prevention. This article outlines how traditional and generative AI technologies influence societal appearance ideals as well as digital environments, including online mental health tools. While AI offers opportunities for early detection, personalized and scalable prevention, and the promotion of more inclusive representation, it also poses ethical and psychological risks, including amplification of harmful appearance ideals, algorithmic bias, and overreliance on technology. This article identifies key research priorities relevant to body image spanning macro-level impacts, emerging use cases, ethics and safety, equity and representation in datasets, public perceptions, and the need for interdisciplinary and participatory governance. As AI becomes embedded in everyday life, its responsible and safe use will be critical to ensuring it does not exacerbate body image concerns or increase ED risk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102042"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102034
Charlie-Jean Seeto , Laura R. Uhlmann , Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck , Caroline L. Donovan
Theory and research suggest that women's general affective and appearance-related vulnerabilities are precursors of social media use, with the associations mediated by gratifications sought from social media, such as affection-seeking. To test this, we examined whether the vulnerabilities of low self-esteem, depression, thin-ideal internalisation, appearance perfectionism and appearance-contingent self-worth had indirect associations with appearance-based social media use/preoccupation via social media gratifications of escape, socialising, and affection-seeking. Social media use/preoccupation included general appearance-related activity, self-presentation, and social comparison when online. Participants were 405 young women (Mage = 19.95, SD = 2.70) who completed surveys. In a path model, all vulnerabilities but depressive symptoms were related to more escape and/or socialising gratification and there were three small indirect associations with appearance-based social media use/preoccupation, two for self-esteem (via escape and socialising) and one for thin-ideal internalisation (via socialising). In addition, the three appearance-specific individual vulnerability factors were directly related to appearance-based social media use/preoccupation. Overall, appearance-related vulnerabilities had mostly direct relations with increased appearance-based social media use/preoccupation. In contrast, self-esteem had indirect associations with appearance-based social media use/preoccupation, which were sometimes counterintuitive, and depressive symptoms had little unique impact on gratifications or on appearance-based social media use/preoccupation once other vulnerabilities had been considered.
{"title":"Vulnerability to appearance-based social media use and preoccupation: A model of young women’s appearance values, depression, and self-esteem via uses and gratification","authors":"Charlie-Jean Seeto , Laura R. Uhlmann , Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck , Caroline L. Donovan","doi":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Theory and research suggest that women's general affective and appearance-related vulnerabilities are precursors of social media use, with the associations mediated by gratifications sought from social media, such as affection-seeking. To test this, we examined whether the vulnerabilities of low self-esteem, depression, thin-ideal internalisation, appearance perfectionism and appearance-contingent self-worth had indirect associations with appearance-based social media use/preoccupation via social media gratifications of escape, socialising, and affection-seeking. Social media use/preoccupation included general appearance-related activity, self-presentation, and social comparison when online. Participants were 405 young women (<em>M</em><sub>age</sub> = 19.95, <em>SD</em> = 2.70) who completed surveys. In a path model, all vulnerabilities but depressive symptoms were related to more escape and/or socialising gratification and there were three small indirect associations with appearance-based social media use/preoccupation, two for self-esteem (via escape and socialising) and one for thin-ideal internalisation (via socialising). In addition, the three appearance-specific individual vulnerability factors were directly related to appearance-based social media use/preoccupation. Overall, appearance-related vulnerabilities had mostly direct relations with increased appearance-based social media use/preoccupation. In contrast, self-esteem had indirect associations with appearance-based social media use/preoccupation, which were sometimes counterintuitive, and depressive symptoms had little unique impact on gratifications or on appearance-based social media use/preoccupation once other vulnerabilities had been considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48312,"journal":{"name":"Body Image","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 102034"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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