A new study from Arizona State University has found that advertisements featuring plus-size models actually decrease women’s self-esteem rather than increase it. Not quite sure what this means but definitely something legal, if you catch my drift. Perhaps something about how shifting the expectations of Law doesn’t ameliorate its affect/nature? ht JD:
“We found that overweight consumers demonstrated lower self-esteem – and therefore probably less enthusiasm about buying products – after exposure to any size models in ads (versus ads with no models). Also, normal-weight consumers experienced lower self-esteem after exposure to moderately heavy models, such as those in Dove soap’s ‘Real Women’ campaign, than after exposure to moderately thin models. Thinner women tended to experience a boost in self-esteem when they viewed all models because they identified positively with the thinner models and saw themselves as different from the heavier models. Heavier women dropped in self-esteem when looking at all models because they saw themselves as different from the thinner, idealized ones and similar to the overweight models. ‘Normal’ women had the most shifts in self-esteem, depending on what types of images they saw and could therefore be the most influenced by pictures in ads. For example, if they viewed a moderately thin model, they felt similar and good; if they saw a moderately heavy model, they worried they were similar and overweight.
These findings could be used to prompt changes in behavior. For example, if a normal-size woman sees moderately heavy images in ads for weight-loss products, she might feel overweight and be more inclined to buy a diet plan or gym membership. The same premise could apply to using heavy images in public service announcements aimed at fighting the obesity epidemic.
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2 responses to “Plus-Size Models and Self-Esteem”
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To me, it seems that the "law" as it concerns women is NOT being changed here– the law isn't "be like this model," the law is, "be thin." So, with the exception of those who were already thin, women react negatively regardless of the model's size in the image, not because the law varies, but because the law is exactly the same and the different images are just different means of conveying it. When the "normal sized" woman sees the thin model she feels badly because she contrasts herself with the model– the thin model is succeeding, the normal woman is failing. When the normal sized woman sees the relatively larger model, she identifies with that model– the model is failing, and so is she. There's never any question what the ideal for beauty is.
What I find so interesting is that the only way the women are happy with themselves is through identification with the "relatively thin" but not actually thin model. We can't fool ourselves into thinking that we actually satisfy the law, but when we see something that's closer to the ideal, but not quite, we can convince ourselves to identify with it– i.e. I might be bad, but I'm not THAT bad! I'm no Hitler, I just gossip a lot! 😉
Emily, well said!