Effect of Western Culture on Women’s Attitudes to Eating and Perceptions of Body Shape

Effect of Western Culture on Women’s Attitudes to Eating and Perceptions of Body Shape

Amelia J. Lake, Petra K. Staiger,* and Huguette Glowinski
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
Accepted 22 April 1999

Abstract: Objective: The current study investigated the effect of culture on two factors implicated in the development of eating disorders, negative attitudes toward eating and dissatisfaction with body shape. Method: Hong Kong-born and Australian-born women from two Australian universities were surveyed using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and the Figure
Rating Scale (FRS). Results: Results showed no difference between the groups in eating attitudes, but significant differences in body shape perceptions, with the Australian-born reporting greater dissatisfaction. Hong Kong-born subjects were separated into two groups based on their level of Chinese identity (Western acculturized and traditional). Their EAT and
FRS scores were compared to the Australian-born, with Western acculturized Hong Kongborn subjects reporting significantly lower EAT and FRS scores than the Australian-born, whereas the more traditional Hong Kong-born subjects reported equivalent scores. Discussion: Main implications center around the need for a cross-culturally sensitive definition of eating disorders, the effect of level of ethnic identity on eating attitudes and body image, and the importance of developing culturally appropriate measures. © 2000 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 27: 83–89, 2000.
Key words: eating attitudes; culture; body shape perceptions; ethnic identity

INTRODUCTION
Western society has been criticized for its emphasis on a slim physique and negative stereotyping of obese figures. It has been proposed that this has resulted in mass dissatisfaction with body shape and weight concerns among the female population (Tiggeman
& Rothblum, 1988). This dissatisfaction has been argued to lead to negative attitudes

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