Running head: BODY STIGMATISATION AND RESULTING DISORDERS 1

Body Stigmatisation and Stereotypes and Resulting Disorders

Fatima Sajid, Anum Masood, Muhammad Hamza Sohail, Umar Zakria
Lahore School of Economics
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Abstract

Today there is a set ideal within society around the perfect body type that women must

meet. These ideals have been prevalent for decades and many women across the globe strive to

achieve these at whatever costs necessary. An outcome of this struggle is eating disorders, most

commonly anorexia, bulimia and henceforth. The pressure to look a certain way has driven

people to pursue habits and substances that ultimately result in such disorders. This research is

an attempt to evaluate whether these stereotypes and stigmas revolving around the perfect body

type are a direct reaction and cause individuals to harbor such disorders. We will be taking the

aid of interviews, questionnaires and surveys.

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Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Background and Context................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Problem Statement ...................................................................................................................... 4
Significance of Problem ............................................................................................................... 4
Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Literature Review ............................................................................................................................. 5
Research Questions: (Limitations and Delimitations)...................................................................... 7
Limitations ................................................................................................................................... 7
Delimitations ................................................................................................................................ 7
Research Methodology .................................................................................................................... 8
Data collection ............................................................................................................................. 8
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 8
Time frame ................................................................................................................................... 8
Expected findings ......................................................................................................................... 9
References ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Questionnaire ................................................................................................................................ 10
 BODY STIGMATISATION AND RESULTING DISORDERS 4

Body Stigmatisation and Stereotypes and Resulting Disorders

Background and Context

To say that stereotypes and stigmatization around body types is a new concept would be

incorrect. This is something we’ve been socialized into and ultimately many have internalized

the concept of having a thin body as their ideal. Moreover, the media is an institution that has

strongly influenced these beliefs over the years through music, television shows and movies.

This is evident from the fact that the heavier body type is portrayed in a negative light and less

frequently than the lighter body type. These factors play a major role in offsetting eating

disorders.

Problem Statement

This research aims to find out whether eating disorders are a direct reaction to these

stereotypes and stigmas that exist within society. Furthermore, with the help of this research, we

aim to find out whether these factors directly influence eating disorders. In addition, to explore

the relationship that women have with their bodies today is also a topic of interest in our

research.

Significance of Problem

Eating disorders in modern society are an issue that is accelerating at a tremendous rate.

It is a phenomenon that has become so prevalent that it has become the new norm. Ultimately

avenues such as nutritionists, laxative companies, gyms, cosmetic surgeons are all profiting of

the vulnerability of people. This is ethically and morally questionable and we, as a society, need
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to bring this issue to the public forum. For this very reason, we have tried to pinpoint the reason

for these disorders and further shed light onto their interconnection.

Scope

Our research hopes to include women of all ages, primarily from ages 3 onwards. This

issue is one that is experienced by women all over the world. However, we will be conducting

our research by finding out the experiences of girls and women in our society and whether they

have been subject to such stigmatization. Interviewing the women in our university and further

including the smaller ages will help us to distinguish when exactly the effects of this

stigmatization takes effect and how these further change their behaviors.

Literature Review

Women have been subjected to this prejudice for quite a while and stereotypes against

women cause them to internalize such body ideals from an early age. The article “Body size

Stereotyping and Internalization of the thin ideal in preschool girls” by Rachel Calogero (2010)

aims to shed light on the stereotyping revolving young girls. This is to see how these feelings

manifest or develop in young children. The view that being thin is the ideal is held by many

because how being thin is associated with being attractive whereas being fat is associated with

being unattractive.

Many other negative stereotypes are associated with fat people such as being lazy or

being indifferent about their health. In the article, “Lonelier, lazier, and teased: the stigmatizing

effect of body size" by Swami V et al. (2008), university students were given photographs to

examine and judge. The concept of BMI has also been introduced within the article and
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individuals with a higher BMI were ranked as lonely, lazy and gets teased. Similarly, men were

subjected to similar discrimination. The findings of the article suggest that people have

preconceived notions about individuals according to their body size. Moreover, fat people face

more criticism as well as social exclusion in comparison to thin people. Several factors come

together for this view to be socialized into young girls such as the media and the culture of a

society. The results from this study suggest that girls as young as the age of 3 are harboring such

ideals for themselves and others. The skinny ideal is something you can see being praised and

idealized and according to Dina Giovanelli and Stephen Ostertag (2009). Furthermore, they are

of the belief that patriarchal beliefs are perpetuated through the media. In this way, the article

claims that the media influences women to view themselves from the ‘male gaze’. Similarly, it

is reasserted here that only certain groups are presented frequently and hence, due to excessive

exposure to a certain type of body type, women tend to believe that this is what they need to

achieve.

Furthermore, the obsession with having a thin body has risen drastically in the past few

years. This leads to women going on fad diets, using laxatives, over exercising and starving

themselves in hopes of having the “ideal body”. The Brown (2016) book “Body of Truth”

questions the view that being thin is good and being fat is bad through research, interviews and

her own experience. She calls out our obsession with such ideals and talks about the toll they

take on our mental health. Furthermore, Brown (2016) tries to help us accept ourselves and be

physically and mentally healthy. Another important institution, the media has been discussed to

highlight its role in the process of maintaining these stereotypes within society. The word

‘panopticon’ has been used to describe the media. This essentially means a device or a body

through which individuals act according to the perceptions and notions of how others view them.
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Similarly, Glauert et al. (2009) are of the view that perceptual exposure has led many women to

develop these unrealistic views about ideals. They carried out their study by making women

chose and rank amongst different body types, mainly thin and fat, in order to grab the essence of

what normality was to them. In this article, the authors have emphasized the role of perceptions

and exposure, which starts from a very young age. Thus, the way women view their bodies is

strongly interconnected to the type and exposure they get. Moreover, fat body types are not

accepted widely in society due to the lack of exposure and portrayal within the media and in the

socialization ages. Thus, the thin body ideal ultimately becomes what they view as normal.

However, when they fail to achieve their unrealistic ideal, there is increasing dissatisfaction

towards one’s own body. In conclusion, stereotypes and stigmatization within the socialization

periods and exposure through media and other institutions has led to increasing body insecurities.

Moreover, these very insecurities ultimately lead to eating disorders and poor mental health.

Research Questions: (Limitations and Delimitations)

Limitations

In order to carry out the research, we needed to retrieve information from a large variety

of women. This was mainly for the quantitative aspect of the research to able to include as many

people as we could. Many other factors also come into play regarding the issue which have been

isolated and could not be explored as the research was confined to a set variable. These factors

thus should not be neglected.

Delimitations
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Knowing the limitations, the questions we included within out questionnaire were a

variety of both open and close ended questions. This was essentially to make sure that both the

qualitative and quantitative aspect would not be ignored. Furthermore, the questionnaire

questions also include some other aspects were difficult to ignore and needed to be included. In

addition, extensive interviews have been planned to gain as much information regarding the

topic. By comparing the different experiences of girls and women, it will be easier to draw a

conclusion.

Research Methodology

Data collection

The methods we plan to collect data will be in the form of questionnaires, interviews and

surveys. Furthermore, the interviews will be audio recorded. Alongside, we will be using

different published papers to aid us in our study and to ultimately get an answer for our

hypothesis.

Data Analysis

Since the nature of our questionnaire and survey are both open ended and close ended in

nature, we will be able to quantify the answers with the use of pie charts and graphs. On the

other hand, an analysis of the qualitative answers will enable us to further understand the topic.

Time frame

In the initial stages of our research, we will be handing out surveys and questionnaires

and conducting interviews to gather as much information pertaining to the topic. In the following

week, an analysis of both the qualitative and the quantitative answers will be done to present
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them using the correct data procedure. In this way, we will reach a conclusion regarding whether

our hypothesis was correct or incorrect.

Expected findings

We expect to find many girls and women who harbor body insecurities and have, at some

point in their lives been or are dissatisfied with their bodies. In addition, we also expect that

some women would have had the experience of an eating disorder, since it is a predominant issue

today.

References

Brown, H. (2016), Body of truth: How science, history and culture drive our obsession

with weight-and what we can do about it. Boston: Da Capo Lifelong Books.

Damiano, S. R., Gregg, K. J., Spiel, E. C., Mclean, S. A., Wertheim, E. H., & Paxton, S.

J. (2015). Relationships between body size attitudes and body image of 4-year old

boys and girls, and attitudes of their fathers and mothers. Journal of Eating

Disorders, 3(1). Doi:10.1186/s40337-015-0048-0

Durante, F., Fasolo, M., Mari, S., & Mazzola, A. F. (2014). Children’s Attitudes and

Stereotype Content Toward Thin, Average-Weight, and Overweight Peers.

SAGE, 4(2), 215824401453469. Doi:10.1177/2158244014534697

Giovanelli, D., Ostertag, S., (2009), Controlling the Body: Media Representations, Body

Size and Self-Discipline. The Fat Studies Reader, New York: NYU Press.

Glauert, R., Rhodes, G., Byrne, S., Fink, B., & Grammer, K. (2009), Body dissatisfaction

and the effects of perpetual exposure on body norms and ideals. International

Journal of Eating Disorders, 42(5), 443-452. Doi:10.1002/eat.20640

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Harriger, J.A., Calogero R.M., Witherington, D.C., & Smith, J.E. (2010). Body Size

Stereotyping and Internalization of the Thin Ideal in Preschool Girls. Sex Roles,

63(9-10), 609-620. doi:10.1007/s11199-010-9868-1

Swami, V., Furnham, A., Amin, R., Chaudhri, J., Joshi, K., Jundi, S.,… Toveem M. J.

(2008), Lonelier, Lazier, and Teased: The Stigmatizing Effect of Body Size. The

Journal of Social Psychology, 148(5),577-594. Doi:10.3200/socp.148.5.577-594

Questionnaire

1. Do you think you are over/underweight?

a) Male

b) Female

2. Are you content with your current weight?

a) Yes

b) No

3. Have you ever been subjected to body shaming?

a) Occasionally

b) Often

c) Rarely

d) Never

4. Do you feel the need to be a certain weight to be happy?

a) Yes

b) No
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5. Who amongst the people you socialize with subject you to body shaming the most?

a) Friends

b) Family

c) Strangers

d) Other

e) All of the above

6. Do you willingly want to change your weight?

a) Yes

b) No

7. Are you actively doing anything to change your weight?

a) Yes

b) No

8. Do you see yourself being compared frequently because of your weight?

a) Yes

b) No

9. Do you think your weight defines you in the eyes of others?

a) Yes

b) No

10. Do body shaming and comparisons take a toll on your mental health?

11. Have you ever been subjected yourself to harmful things (laxatives, diet pills, stimulants

etc.) to reach your ideal weight?

a) Yes
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b) No

12. Do you feel an added pressure to avoid certain clothing because of your body shape?

a) Yes

b) No

13. Has the body shaming led to a tremulous or troublesome image of your body in your

mind?

a) Yes

b) No

14. Does this make you less confident in social settings?

a) Yes

b) No

15. Do you find yourself comparing your weight to that of others?

a) Yes

b) No

16. Do you feel like the media has set unrealistic standards?

a) Yes

b) No