Media Exposure and Thin-Ideal Internalization in the Drive for Thinness in Japanese Women

Focusing mainly on the roles of media exposure and thin-ideal internalization, this study attempts to extend the findings of previous studies conducted in other countries. A structural equation model with maximum likelihood estimation was performed to test the hypothesized path model. The fit indices indicated that the path model provided an acceptable fit. The results revealed that the influence of fashion magazine reading on the drive for thinness is mediated via thin-ideal internalization. Thus, heavier readers of fashion magazines were more likely to exhibit a greater drive for thinness via internalization of the thin ideal. The results were generally consistent with findings from previous studies conducted in other countries, confirming the cross-cultural importance of the process of thin-ideal internalization in the study of the drive for thinness among young women.