Negative body image caused by media exposure can span across cultures, says a new study at Murdoch University.

Dr Steven Ward, lecturer at the School of Commerce, compared the impact of various media on body image of people in their twenties in Singapore and Australia.

This was one of the first comparative studies of body image between different nations, revealing some unexpected findings.

“The current thought about the media’s contribution to negative body image is that everyone is affected by the sheer amount of exposure,” said Dr Ward.

“However, it seems that the type of media shown is far more important.”

Inspired by a preliminary study by his undergraduate students about cosmetic surgery, Dr Ward conducted surveys of men and women about their reaction and amount of exposure to magazines, television and the Internet.

He found that people in Singapore were more affected by the Internet, and in Australia magazines played a much more significant role in forming perceptions about body image.

Dr Ward said the study demonstrated that different forms of media could affect people in various ways.

Television and Internet, which can have confronting visual images, tended to make people feel that they could never aspire to those sorts of looks.

Magazine advertising had the reverse effect, with the largest impact from images that readers found appealing.

As Dr Ward found that dissatisfaction with body type was just as high in both countries amongst men and women, he believes that personality plays a key role.

“Some people are more vulnerable to these sorts of feelings,” he said.

“It does not matter what sort of body you have, as eating disorders and negative body image are increasing around the world in countries exposed to Western media. Further research is needed to explore the phenomenon in greater depth.

“Along with the obvious public health risks from eating disorders, research indicates that the representation of more realistic body image will increase the likelihood of purchase,” said Dr Ward.

“Therefore there could be commercial benefits in changing the trend of super slim models in the media.”

Dr Ward is extending his research in the field to include Europe, and further studies will include an analysis of cultural differences for body image.