Media exemplars of women’s figures and their influence on girls’ dietary habits

Abstract

Introduction. Nutritional habits of the youth are very diverse nowadays. In the days of unlimited access to media we experience their significant impact on our diet through influencing not only by advertised products, but mainly by presented models of the women’s figures associated with given products.

The aim. To assess the extent media have influence on adolescent girls and how big pressure they put on the nutrition and perceiving their figure.

Material and methods. Research comprises 312 girls at the age of 15 to 19 years attending high schools in Warsaw, with catholic background and the participants of the on-line research. The research tool was self-developed questionnaire. The influence of theInternet and television on girls dietary habits and their perception of their bodies was studied. 
The analysis of answers given in the questionnaire has shown that the presented in media patterns of feminine figures do influence girls diet habits (p < 0,05). It has also demonstrated that individuals who often use Internet more often look for counsels referring to nutrition and they readily identify with patterns of female figures presented there by very thin models.