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Quest for ideal weight: costs and consequences.

A K Lindeman1

  • 1Indiana University, Department of Applied Health Science, Bloomington 47405, USA. lindema@indiana.edu

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|August 17, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Achieving ideal body weight involves significant financial and psychological costs, including dieting, exercise, and cosmetic surgery. Setting realistic goals can minimize these burdens and reduce the risk of eating disorders.

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Area of Science:

  • Health Psychology
  • Body Image Research
  • Sociology of Health

Background:

  • The pursuit of an ideal body weight incurs substantial financial and psychological costs.
  • Media and societal pressures promote unrealistic body ideals, particularly thinness and specific body shapes.
  • Women, including adolescents and young girls, are exposed to these ideals through various media and products.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the multifaceted costs associated with achieving and maintaining an ideal body weight.
  • To explore the influence of media portrayals on body image and weight-related behaviors.
  • To identify risk factors for eating disorders linked to extreme weight management practices.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative analysis of costs associated with dieting, exercise, and cosmetic surgery.

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  • Content analysis of media portrayals of ideal body types.
  • Review of psychological factors and behaviors associated with excessive exercise and eating disorders.

    • Main Results:

    • Dieting, exercise, and cosmetic surgery represent significant financial expenditures.
    • Media idealizes a thin, tubular body shape, influencing women's perceptions of healthy weight.
    • Excessive exercise, preoccupation with weight, perfectionism, and obsessive-compulsive traits are risk factors for eating disorders.

    Conclusions:

    • The pursuit of societal and media-driven body ideals carries considerable physical, psychological, and financial burdens.
    • Realistic goal setting and maintaining perspective on body weight and shape can mitigate these negative consequences.
    • Awareness of the risks associated with extreme weight management practices is crucial for preventing eating disorders.