Evidence-based policy solutions to prevent eating disorders: Do disclaimer labels on fashion advertisements mitigate negative impact on adult women?

Abstract

Exposure to media images portraying the thin ideal is associated with increased body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in women. Organizations and policymakers globally have proposed polices requiring warning or disclaimer labels on altered images. Research examining efficacy of disclaimer labels is growing but has largely overlooked adult women. This study extends current research by exploring novel disclaimer labels in a sample of adult women. Women (N = 872) recruited via Amazon’s MTurk were randomly assigned to view 20 fashion advertisements with one of five labels: 1) no label; 2) general-digital-alteration label; 3) health-warning label; 4) specific-weight label; or 5) facial features/cosmetic label. Results revealed a significant increase in body dissatisfaction after advertisement exposure, irrespective of label group. Women who viewed advertisements with labels and recalled the labels reported lower body satisfaction and intention to purchase products compared to those who viewed advertisements with no label. Age appears to play an important role in how disclaimer labels affect women. Younger women of color appear to be more negatively impacted by the facial features/cosmetic label than older women of color. Findings are consistent with previous studies indicating no protective effect of disclaimer labels suggesting the need for more effective preventive strategies.