Possessing a negative body image is associated with unhealthy eating habits and eating disorders in college women and has been linked to depression and negative feelings of self worth. Limited research exists on protective factors that have the potential to mitigate body image dissatisfaction. This paper examines the relationship of resilience to body image dissatisfaction in college women. Female, undergraduate college students were studied using previously validated measures. Results indicate that increased resilience is associated with improved body image. Introduction Body image is a complex construct that can influence an individual’s perceptions about their physical selves (1). Women who hold a negative body image tend to practice unhealthy eating habits which in turn are highly linked to the development of eating disorders especially as they progress through adolescence and into the college environment (2-4). Many young women entering college are challenged with social norms associated with overall appearance that have been engrained long before they enter college. As Cooley et al. note, “…the college years may be a particularly appropriate period to study because of the significant life changes and stressors facing late adolescents entering the college environment” (5). These developmental changes have been shown to be significantly linked to increased feelings of figure dissatisfaction among women (5). Research has shown that a number of factors can contribute to body image dissatisfaction. Clinical psychologists and sociocultural theorists have posited that idealized images of attractiveness or beauty can be linked to body image notions (6-8). Others have identified familial and peer relationships (9-14) and referent groups (15) as being influential factors to body image dissatisfaction. However, less empirically explored have been the potential for protective factors that may insulate adolescent women from body image dissatisfaction. Anecdotal evidence has shown that having a referent identity such as feminism may promote resilience in young women, yet the interplay between resilience and body image has not been formally measured or studied. In this article, we hypothesize that college-age women who are more resilient will have a more favorable body image after accounting for the known predictors of body image dissatisfaction found in the literature. Given that college women have been documented to be at risk for many detrimental physical and mental health outcomes, the importance of addressing body image dissatisfaction and identifying positive and protective factors related to its treatment becomes especially salient to college counselors. Factors Related to Body Image Media and Social ComparisonHaving a negative body image has been linked to a number of social, psychosocial, and environmental factors. One factor commonly perceived to be of influence to young women is media and social comparison. Developed by Leon Festiger, social comparison theory suggests that comparison to a larger reference group motivates the individual, in this case young women, towards uniformity (16). Renee Engeln-Maddox studied this effect in college women, where she found that comparing one’s self to media images was associated with “body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal endorsement, and a drive for thinness” (8). These results supported previous research findings by Stormer and Thompson and also Taylor et al. (16, 17). Such negative media effects continue to be pervasive in modern western society. As Hoyt surmises, “In the past 30 years, the average body size of Miss America winners has decreased significantly (2, 18, 19), the prevalence of diet and exercise articles in women’s magazines has grown exponentially (18-21), and the physical appearance of the average fashion model is now achievable by only 3-5% of the U.S. population” (21).Peer and Familial RelationshipsA second set of contributing factors to body image dissatisfaction revolve ar
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