Engaging in peer conversation about slimming predicts body dissatisfaction in Chinese college women: A study in Hong Kong

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction is associated with many psychological and physical problems such as depression and eating disorders. Recently body image dissatisfaction has become a pervasive problem in modern societies including Hong Kong. Using a sample size of 1264 young female adults, I conducted a hierarchical multiple regression and found that Hong Kong young female adults’ degree of body dissatisfaction is predicted by both contextual and individual factors in the following order: peer conversation about slimming, body consciousness, thin-ideal internalization, thin aspiration, and anti-fat affectivity. Media exposure to slimming information, on the other hand, was not a significant predictor of body dissatisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Keywords:

• Body dissatisfaction
• Peer influence
• Body consciousness
• Thin ideals
• Chinese females