Body weight contingency of self-worth

Biopsychosocial Model of Dietary Restraint in Early Adolescent Boys

“…In U.S. society, messages and pressures about appearance, body type, and eating are ubiquitous; there is no escape from them. Under the constant presence of such messages, boys may come to believe that they have failed to meet the expectations of their friends, families, and society as a whole about how they should look (Clabaugh et al, 2008;Crocker & Wolfe, 2001;, and thus feel disappointed in their physical size and shape. Consistent with the findings in the present study, previous research (e.g., McCabe & Ricciardelli, 2003c, 2001c has documented the direct and negative association between social weight pressures and body satisfaction in boys.…”

“…In a sample of undergraduate men, Karazsia and Crowther (2009) found that social body comparisons were associated with higher levels of internalization of the general, as well as the lean and muscular, body ideals, accounting for 15% to 25% of the variance. To a certain extent, boys who feel pressured may adopt the appearance standards of their peers, families, and the media to increase their likelihood of being socially accepted (Clabaugh et al, 2008;Crocker, 2002;Vartanian, 2009). Boys also reduce their social uncertainty and identify social expectations for their bodies by comparing themselves with their peers (Jones, 2001).…”

“…As boys navigate the task of developing an increasingly stable and coherent self-concept, their family members, peer groups, and the media play an important role in shaping their identities and beliefs (Blatt & Blass, 1996;Maccoby & Martin, 1993;. Further, boys' investment in their relationships may make them vulnerable to external influences, such as pressures from friends or the media to adopt the physical ideal (Clabaugh, Karpinski, & Griffin, 2008;Crocker, 2002;Vartanian, 2009), and likely to internalize or incorporate the beliefs and values (e.g., characteristics of masculinity) of their peers, family members, and society into their self-schema (Drummond, 2002;Vartanian & Hopkinson, 2010). Because middle school boys spend considerable time at school among their peers (Myers & Crowther, 2009), they would be attentive to the appearance norms that are salient within their friendships and social networks (Grieve, 2007;Grieve & Helmick, 2008), which are likely to include a focus on the thinness and muscle tone of their bodies (Murnen, 2011).…”

“…Because societal appearance standards determine the messages boys receive from important socializing agents (i.e., family members, peers, and the media), over repeated exposure, boys may come to conclude that the opinions of such socializing agents regarding their physical appearance reflect their self-worth (Krueger, 2002;Neziroglu et al, 2008;Stryker, 1980) and the amount they should value their bodies (Clabaugh et al, 2008;Crocker & Wolfe, 2001). Researchers (e.g., Hill & Lynch 1983;Rose & Rudolph, 2006;Smolak & Stein, 2006), suggest that puberty may intensify pressures from peers and family members for boys to conform to gender-stereotyped behaviors and appearance norms, because they look (and are expected to act) more like men than boys who have not begun puberty.…”

A Biopsychosocial Model of Dietary Restraint in Early Adolescent Boys

“…Amongst male undergraduates, social pressures from family members and the media to have a muscular and lean body were associated with internalization of a lean and muscular physical ideal (Tylka, 2011 within the context of their social relationships (Jones, 2004). Because societal appearance standards determine the messages boys receive from important socializing agents (i.e., family members, peers, and the media), over repeated exposure, boys may come to conclude that the opinions of such socializing agents regarding their physical appearance reflect their self-worth (Krueger, 2002;Neziroglu et al, 2008;Stryker, 1980) and the amount they should value their bodies (Clabaugh et al, 2008;Crocker & Wolfe, 2001). Researchers (e.g., Hill & Lynch 1983;Rose & Rudolph, 2006;Smolak & Stein, 2006), suggest that puberty may intensify pressures from peers and family members for boys to conform to gender-stereotyped behaviors and appearance norms, because they look (and are expected to act) more like men than boys who have not begun puberty.…”