Television Exposure and Disordered Eating Among Children: A Longitudinal Panel Study

Abstract

Although the link between media consumption and eating disorders has been widely studied, relatively little is known about the development of this link in childhood. A longitudinal panel survey of 315 White and Black preadolescent boys and girls revealed that television exposure, after controlling for age, perceived body size, selective exposure to ideal-body television, and baseline disordered eating, significantly predicted disordered eating 1 year later for girls but not for boys. Findings suggest that disordered eating as an outcome of television exposure is an important issue for Black girls as well as White girls. Results also highlight the need for continued investigation into gender differences in the effects of media exposure on eating disturbance in childhood.