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Women with high family support and limited pressure to achieve the'thin and beautiful' ideal have a more positive body image. That'saccording to a new study looking at five factors that may helpyoung women to be more positive about their bodies, in the contextof a society where discontent with appearance is common amongwomen. The work by Dr. Shannon Snapp, from the University of Arizona inthe US, and colleagues is published online in Springer's journal, Sex Roles. Many women in contemporary Western cultures are dissatisfied withtheir bodies, a risk factor for eating problems. Snapp and teamexamined factors that make women more resilient when it comes totheir body image, in a bid to help those women at risk of eatingdisorders. They focussed on young college women who are likely toexperience self-consciousness as they compare themselves with peersand become involved in social groups and organizations that place ahigh value on appearance. A total of 301 first-year college women, from two universities inthe US, completed questionnaires based on the Choate theoreticalmodel. This model hypothesizes that family support and low levelsof pressure to attain the thin ideal are related to the rejectionof the superwoman ideal, positive views of physical competence, andeffective stress-busting strategies. These factors are associatedwith well-being, which in turn is linked to positive body image inwomen. The researchers put this model to the test in a 'real life'situation. They found that young women with high family support and low levelsof perceived socio-cultural pressure from family, friends and themedia regarding the importance of achieving a 'thin and beautiful'ideal had a more positive body image. These same women alsorejected the superwoman ideal, had a positive physicalself-concept, and were armed with skills to deal with stress . Practical recommendations for prevention programs aimed at youngwomen at risk of eating disorders include helping women to evaluateand become comfortable with the multiple and often contradictoryexpectations placed upon them in today's society; teaching them touse effective coping skills; fostering a positive view of theirphysical competence through exercise and health; and promotingholistic well-being and balance in their lives. The authors conclude: "It is particularly important for women todevelop a sense of self-worth that is not solely based onappearance, and to build resilience to pressures they may receivefrom family, friends and the media." Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Printed Tinplate , Galvanised Steel Sheet Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel Coil.
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