(Press-News.org) The same has been found with regard to exposure to music and fashion on the Internet, and to harmful programs on TV. The study also reveals that the risk of developing eating disorders in adolescent girls is moderated when there is more parental supervision over viewing habits.
The more time adolescent girls spend in front of Facebook, the more their chances of developing a negative body image and various eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and exaggerated dieting. This has been shown in a new study from the University of Haifa.
Eating disorders include a wide spectrum of abnormal mental and behavioral conducts related to food and body weight, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This study, conducted by Prof. Yael Latzer, Prof. Ruth Katz and Zohar Spivak of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences at the University of Haifa, set out to examine the effects of two factors on the development of eating disorders in young girls: exposure to the media and self-empowerment.
A group of 248 girls aged 12-19 (average age: 14.8) took part in the survey. These girls were asked to provide information on their Internet and television viewing habits. Regarding the latter, they were asked to give the number of popular shows related to extreme standards of physical image (the "Barbie" model) that they watched. The girls also filled out questionnaires that examined their approach to slimming, bulimia, physical satisfaction or dissatisfaction, their general outlook on eating, and their sense of personal empowerment.
The results showed that the more time girls spend on Facebook, the more they suffered conditions of bulimia, anorexia, physical dissatisfaction, negative physical self-image, negative approach to eating and more of an urge to be on a weight-loss diet. Extensive online exposure to fashion and music content showed similar tendencies, but manifested in fewer types of eating disorders. As such, the more the exposure to fashion content on the Internet, the higher a girl's chances of developing anorexia. A similar direct link was found between viewing gossip- and leisure-related television programs (the likes of "Gossip Girl") and eating disorders in adolescent girls. The study also revealed that the level of personal empowerment in these girls is negatively linked to eating disorders, such that the higher the level of empowerment, the more positive the physical self-image and the lower the chances of developing an eating disorder.
In this study, exposure to the media and the consequential sense of personal empowerment was found to be associated to parenting practices. Girls whose parents were involved in their media usage; who knew what they were viewing and reading and where they were surfing on the web; who watched, surfed or read along with them; and who conducted cooperative and critical discussions with their daughters about the content of their surfing habits, showed more personal empowerment, forming a protective shield against eating disorders.
On the other hand, parents who were not involved in their media exposure, were not aware of the content that their daughters were consuming, and instead of sharing and becoming familiar with that content chose to limit or prohibit exposure, led to lower self-empowerment in their daughters. This, in turn, has a positive link to various eating problems and negative body image.
"Significant potential for future research and application of eating disorder prevention lies in an understanding of how parenting decisions can have effect on an adolescent girl's sense of empowerment and that enforcing a girl's sense of empowerment is a means to strengthening body image. This study has shown that a parent has potential ability to prevent dangerous behavioral disorders and negative eating behavior in particular," the researchers stated.
###
For more details contact Rachel Feldman • Tel: +972-4-8288722
Communications and Media Relations
University of Haifa
press@univ.haifa.ac.il
Facebook users more prone to developing eating disorders
The more time adolescent girls spend in front of Facebook, the more their chances of developing a negative body image and various eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and exaggerated dieting
2011-02-08
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Less radical tumor surgery can offer better long-term kidney function
2011-02-08
Patients with kidney tumours larger than four centimetres are much more likely to enjoy good long-term renal function if they undergo nephron-sparing surgery rather than radical nephrectomy, according to a study in the February issue of the urology journal BJUI.
Researchers from the Department of Urology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, studied 166 patients for up 19 years, with a median follow up of five-and-a-half years. The participants were split into two groups - 81 "younger" patients up to 55 and 85 "older" patients aged 65 and over.
They ...
A study analyzes science fiction in Spanish theater
2011-02-08
This release is available in Spanish.
When we think of rapprochements with science fiction, almost instantly numerous references come to mind in the area of the narrative literature or film. Notwithstanding, since its origins until today, the literature of the theater has given a place to all types of genres and forms, including the genre of science fiction. That is the aim of this research, recently published in Insula, the most widely disseminated literary Hispanist review in the world. The study's author, Julio Enrique Checa, from the Department of Humanities: ...
Drug developed by Hebrew U. and others holds promise for treatment of wounds
2011-02-08
Jerusalem, February 7, 2011 -- A low cost, nanometer-sized drug to treat chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers or burns, has been developed by a group of scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Harvard Medical School and others in the U.S. and Japan.
Diabetes is a rapidly growing medical problem affecting close to 3 percent of the world's population. Poor blood circulation arising from diabetes often results in skin wounds which do not heal, causing pain, infection and at times amputation of limbs.
Several proteins, called growth factors, have ...
Roaches inspire robotics
2011-02-08
Tel Aviv — Ask anyone who has ever tried to squash a skittering cockroach — they're masters of quick and precise movement. Now Tel Aviv University is using their maddening locomotive skills to improve robotic technology too.
Prof. Amir Ayali of Tel Aviv University's Department of Zoology says the study of cockroaches has already inspired advanced robotics. Robots have long been based on these six-legged houseguests, whose nervous system is relatively straightforward and easy to study. But until now, walking machines based on the cockroach's movement have been influenced ...
Women with PCOS benefit from acupuncture and exercise
2011-02-08
Acupuncture and physical exercise improve hormone levels and menstrual bleeding pattern in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
PCOS is a common disorder that affects up to 10% of all women of child-bearing age. Women with PCOS frequently have irregular ovulation and menstruation, with many small immature egg follicles in the ovaries. This causes the ovaries to produce more testosterone which, in turn, leads to troublesome hair growth and acne. Obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease are ...
Larger cities drive growing wage gap between the rich and the poor, study shows
2011-02-08
Why in the United States are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?
Part of the answer lies in the unique economies of our larger cities, finds a study by Ronni Pavan of the University of Rochester and Nathaniel Baum-Snow of Brown University and the National Bureau of Economic Research.
"Our results show that overall up to one-third of the growth in the wage gap between the rich and the poor is driven by city size independent of workers' skills," says Pavan.
Using U.S. Census data and American Community Surveys from 1980 to 2007 across the entire ...
Math may help calculate way to find new drugs for HIV and other diseases
2011-02-08
Using mathematical concepts, Princeton researchers have developed a method of discovering new drugs for a range of diseases by calculating which physical properties of biological molecules may predict their effectiveness as medicines.
The technique already has identified several potential new drugs that were shown to be effective for fighting strains of HIV by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
"The power of this is that it's a general method," said Princeton chemical and biological engineering professor Christodoulos Floudas, who led the research team. "It has ...
Urine-sniffing dogs: Early detection of prostate cancer
2011-02-08
Arnhem, The Netherlands, 7 February 2011 -- In the February 2011 issue of European Urology, Jean-Nicolas Cornu and colleagues reported the evaluation of the efficacy of prostate cancer (PCa) detection by trained dogs on human urine samples.
In their article, the researchers affirm that volatiles organic compounds (VOCs) in urine have been proposed as cancer biomarkers. In the study, a Belgian Malinois shepherd was trained by the clicker training method (operant conditioning) to scent and recognize urine of people having PCa. All urine samples were frozen for preservation ...
Research proves new soybean meal sources are good fish meal alternatives
2011-02-08
Two new sources of soybean meal are capturing attention throughout the country. University of Illinois research indicates that fermented soybean meal and enzyme-treated soybean meal may replace fish meal in weanling pig diets.
"The price of fish meal has exploded and is causing producers to search for new options for weanling pig diets," said Hans H. Stein, U of I professor of animal sciences. "Pigs are traditionally fed diets containing relatively large amounts of animal proteins such as fish meal from weaning up to 40 pounds when they can digest traditional soybean ...
Anthropologist: 'Body Worlds' visitors confront bodies but not death
2011-02-08
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In two new works, an anthropologist tackles a perplexing question relating to the enormously successful "Body Worlds" exhibits: How does society tolerate – and even celebrate – the public display of human corpses?
"Body Worlds – The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies" is the most widely attended exhibit in the world, said Jane Desmond, a professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois and author of a paper and book chapter on the subject. While the exhibition has generated some controversy, its promoters have succeeded in presenting it ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
College commuters: Link between students’ mental health, vehicle crashes
Using sugars from peas speeds up sour beer brewing
Stormwater pollution sucked up by specialized sponge
Value-added pancakes: WSU using science to improve nutrition of breakfast staple
Beyond the gut: A new frontier in IBS treatment by targeting the brain
New spin on quantum liquids: Quasi-1D dynamics in molecular spin systems
Spinal cord stimulation restores neural function, targets key feature of progressive neurodegenerative disease
Shut the nano gate! Electrical control of nanopore diameter
Cutting emissions in buildings and transport: Key strategies for 2050
How parents can protect children from mature and adult content
By studying neutron ‘starquakes’, scientists hope to transform their understanding of nuclear matter
Mouth bacteria may hold insight into your future brain function
Is cellular concrete a viable low-carbon alternative to traditional concrete for earthquake-resistant structures?
How does light affect citrus fruit coloration and the timing of peel and flesh ripening?
Male flies sharpened their eyesight to call the females' bluff
School bans alone not enough to tackle negative impacts of phone and social media use
Explaining science in court with comics
‘Living’ electrodes breathe new life into traditional silicon electronics
One in four chance per year that rocket junk will enter busy airspace
Later-onset menopause linked to healthier blood vessels, lower heart disease risk
New study reveals how RNA travels between cells to control genes across generations
Women health sector leaders good for a nation’s wealth, health, innovation, ethics
‘Good’ cholesterol may be linked to heightened glaucoma risk among over 55s
GLP-1 drug shows little benefit for people with Parkinson’s disease
Generally, things really do seem better in morning, large study suggests
Juicing may harm your health in just three days, new study finds
Forest landowner motivation to control invasive species depends on land use, study shows
Coal emissions cost India millions in crop damages
$10.8 million award funds USC-led clinical trial to improve hip fracture outcomes
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center among most reputable academic medical centers
[Press-News.org] Facebook users more prone to developing eating disordersThe more time adolescent girls spend in front of Facebook, the more their chances of developing a negative body image and various eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and exaggerated dieting