Internalization of the thin ideal among low-income ethnic minority adolescent girls

Abstract

Internalization of the thin ideal has been thought to occur disproportionately among Caucasian, upper-class girls and women. The current research challenges this view by assessing thin-ideal internalization among low-income ethnic minority girls ( N = 48). This research identifies differences between low-income ethnic minority adolescent girls who highly internalize the thin ideal (HI) and those who have lower internalization of thinness (LI). Results indicate that HI and LI groups do not differ based on ethnicity or weight categorization. Body satisfaction, competence, and perceived sociocultural pressure were analyzed as individual differences between HI versus LI participants. Those in the LI group have higher athletic competence and body satisfaction ratings for weight compared to the HI group. By identifying differences in thin-ideal internalization in this understudied population, factors that may protect someone from endorsing the thin ideal may be discovered.