Modern ideals of female attractiveness include an extremely toned and fit appearance in addition to extreme thinness. Although viewing thin models has a negative effect on women's body image, research has not tested the effect of exposure to the ultra-fit physique separate from the thin-ideal. This randomized, posttest-only experiment tested the effects of the athletic aspect of the current ide...

There is growing agreement among experts that an obesogenic environment, which encourage excess food intake and idealizes thinness, plays a crucial role in the epidemic of childhood obesity and eating disorders. Because parents provide a child's contextual environment, they should be considered key players in interventions aimed at preventing or treating weight-related problems. Parenting style...

We evaluate the influence of demographic, socioeconomic, and maternal variables on the nutritional status of adolescents aged 11 years. We conducted a prospective cohort study including 4,452 adolescents born in Pelotas, Southern Brazil, in 1993, accounting for 87.5% of the original cohort. Nutritional status was evaluated based on World Health Organization criteria. Subjects were classified ac...

The association between hormones and binge eating was assessed by Klump and colleagues in a community sample [4]. A small group of normal BMI college women provided 65 days of saliva samples for estradiol and progesterone assay, as well as mood and binge-eating scale scores. After controlling for BMI and negative affect, increases in binge eating across the menstrual cycle were significantly co...

Thin bodies have been the centre of much controversy in recent years. Feminist critiques of popular culture, as well as popular feminist movements, have called attention to the ways in which oppressive ideals of feminine beauty have increasingly become associated with an idealisation of extreme thinness. In particular, the extent to which the prevalence of eating disorders can be linked to medi...