Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Internalization of ideal body shapes in 9-12-year-old girls
1Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Objective:
Body dissatisfaction is reported in girls as young as 9 years old in Western countries. In the current study, internalization of the "thin ideal" was predicted to be a critical influence on the development of body dissatisfaction.
Method:
Participants (n = 356) were weighed and completed measures of body dissatisfaction, awareness and internalization of the thin ideal, and peer and maternal attitudes and behavior. Exposure to relevant print media was also assessed.
Results:
Body dissatisfaction was associated with a higher body mass index, although it was not restricted to overweight girls. Internalization mediated the relationship between awareness of the sociocultural standard of appearance and body dissatisfaction. Media exposure and peer and maternal weight-related attitudes and behavior were, in turn, related to awareness, supporting the hypothesized sociocultural processes.
Discussion:
Internalization operates as a central component in the development of body dissatisfaction, occurring at a young age in some girls. Internalization may be a suitable target for preventive strategies.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
The Looking Glass Self
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Factors Influencing Attraction II: Physical Attraction

