body shape

body image

body esteem

Women's Studies Journal

image dissatisfaction (BID) is common in New Zealand, as in much of the Western world. It is a particular issue for young women, with the potential for extremely negative consequences. While the role of the media has been relatively well-researched, the influence of family and friends on young women's body image dissatisfac - tion is deserving of further examination, especially in New Zealand, where such research is lacking, while body image dissatisfaction may be particularly high, especially among young Pakeha/European women. The current exploratory research combined a journal-writing task with in-depth interviews with four young women. Though small, this project provided a wealth of data about the influence of family and friends in young women's lives and their contribution to BID. While several factors impact on BID, this research suggests that family and friends have significant, and often unrecognised, influence. A key finding is the prevalence of 'fat-talk', and the relative un- importance of its intention; for example, participants spoke about friends' observations of others, friends' advice, well-meaning behaviour by family members and mothers' self-criticism as sources of their own dissatisfaction. This research has also emphasised the unquestioning internalisation of the thin ideal as a result of the behaviour of family and friends, to the extent that the participants considered their BID to be appropriate.

Friends, family, and their influence on body image dissatisfaction