How Do Women in Recovery from Anorexia Negotiate the Thin Ideal?
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FROM THINSPIRATION TO OPPOSITION: HOW DO WOMEN IN RECOVERY FROM ANOREXIA NEGOTIATE THE THIN IDEAL? By DEBORAH M. DEMÁRE A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2008 1 © 2008 Deborah M. Demáre 2 To the individuals and family members of women in recovery anorexia. There is hope. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my chair, Dr. Duke Cornell, for her guidance throughout the entire process of this challenging endeavor. I also would like to thank my co-chair, Dr. Treise, for her continual support as I completed this dissertation. Thanks also are in order for my committee members, Dr. Kim Walsh-Childers and Dr. Julia Graber for their insightful contributions. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Helena Sarkiö for introducing me to reception studies, which served as the most appropriate theoretical framework from which to examine the participants’ readings. Beyond the individuals on my dissertation committee, there are many other people that deserve recognition. First, I would like to express my gratitude to the 32 inspirational women who participated in this study. In sharing their personal experiences, they have provided invaluable insight in terms of how women can become more resistant to the thin ideal message that is so pervasive in today’s media. In addition, these women provided me with resolve to strengthen my own recovery. I also would like to acknowledge Barbara Harris, Dr. Seldman, Dr. Emerson, and Dr. Zeckhausen for referring participants to this study. I would like to give special thanks to Barbara and Dina, who allowed me to solidify my recovery process and instilled confidence in my ability to complete this dissertation. Thanks are in order for Sandy who provided a necessary zany outlet and for teaching me the importance of brevity and clarity. In addition, I would like to acknowledge how much I appreciate the time that Melissa and Donna spent in Dancing Goats dedicated to “Operation Debi Gets Done.” I also am indebted to Melissa for her friendship and continual support as I completed the final stages of this dissertation. 4 I would be remiss if I neglected to thank my dissertation support network. I feel fortunate to have such wonderful friends and colleagues who offered their continual emotional and professional support as I completed the various stages of this dissertation. In addition, I would like to extend special thanks to Jody Hedge. She is one of the most valuable resources in the College, providing a wealth of critical information over the years as I completed my degree. I also would like to express my gratitude to her for always offering words of encouragement and for her continuous support and compassion. I am thankful to my family, who never really understood what all this dissertation stuff was about, but loved and supported me anyway. There are also a few specific family members that I would like to recognize. I would like to thank my husband’s family for having enough confidence in me to preemptively refer to me as “Dr. Debi.” I also would like to extend gratitude to my “Grandma in Florida” for believing that I was intelligent enough to complete this dissertation and for supplying me with the resources to do so. You are missed. I also would like to offer a special thank you to my “Grandma in New York” for always loving me unconditionally. I dedicated my master’s thesis to her for her 90th birthday, so I had to wait until she was 100 to finish my dissertation! Completing this dissertation required a tremendous amount of commitment, and I faced several obstacles. Throughout the entire journey, Nitanee served as a much-needed calming presence, and no words can express how much I love and appreciate her. Finally, the completion of this dissertation would not have been possible without the immeasurable love and support of my husband. He has taught me that nothing will scare him away, not even a dissertation! He is truly the most wonderful husband and best friend that anyone could ever ask for. I will always love him. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................................16 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................17 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................18 CHAPTER 1 PREFACE AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY .....................................................................20 Prevalence of Eating Disorders and Thin Ideal ......................................................................20 Placing the Researcher in the Context of the Research ..........................................................23 Background on Eating Disorders and Recovery.....................................................................26 Eating Disorders on a Continuum ...................................................................................28 Recovery Defined............................................................................................................29 Seriousness of Anorexia..................................................................................................30 Challenges with Recovery ......................................................................................................31 Why Women? .........................................................................................................................32 Cultural Ideal ..........................................................................................................................34 The Socialization Process.......................................................................................................35 Positive Associations with Thinness ...............................................................................36 Negative Associations with Fat.......................................................................................37 Ideal Not Attainable ........................................................................................................40 Media Set the Norm.........................................................................................................43 Changes in American Weight Standards ................................................................................45 Historical Standards for the Female Body Ideal.....................................................................46 Where Do We Learn What Ideal Is?.......................................................................................54 Media Do Not Reflect Diversity.............................................................................................55 What is Body Image?..............................................................................................................56 Body Dissatisfaction...............................................................................................................57 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................................................................59 Overview.................................................................................................................................59 Structure of the Chapter..........................................................................................................60 Socio-Cultural Influences .......................................................................................................62 Effects Theories Applied in the Literature .............................................................................63 Socio-Cultural Theory ............................................................................................................64 Thin Ideal Endorsed in Media ................................................................................................64 How Television Contributes............................................................................................65 How Magazines Contribute.............................................................................................67 6 Ideal is Thinner over Time .....................................................................................................70 Link to Eating Disorders .................................................................................................73 Increase in Diet Articles and Advertisements .................................................................73 Feel Fat? ..........................................................................................................................75 Social Comparison Theory .....................................................................................................77 Target Characteristics......................................................................................................78 Upward and Downward Comparisons.............................................................................80 Body Satisfaction Measurement......................................................................................82 Mediating Factors for Social Comparison Theory ..........................................................84 Discrepancy