Helping Young Girls Build a Positive Body Image (PDF)

California State University, San Bernardino California State University, San Bernardino CSUSB ScholarWorks CSUSB ScholarWorks Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations Office of Graduate Studies 12-2020 Helping Young Girls Build a Positive Body Image: A Training Helping Young Girls Build a Positive Body Image: A Training Workshop for Parents Workshop for Parents Jennifer Richardson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd Part of the Development Studies Commons Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Richardson, Jennifer, "Helping Young Girls Build a Positive Body Image: A Training Workshop for Parents" (2020). Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 1134. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/1134 This Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Graduate Studies at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]  HELPING YOUNG GIRLS BUILD A STRONG BODY IMAGE: A TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS A Project Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Child Development by Jennifer Richardson December 2020  HELPING YOUNG GIRLS BUILD A STRONG BODY IMAGE: A TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS A Project Presented to the Faculty of California State University, San Bernardino by Jennifer Richardson December 2020 Approved by: Dr. Laura Kamptner, Committee Chair, Psychology Dr. Eugene Wong, Committee Member Dr. Amanda Wilcox, Committee Member  © 2020 Jennifer Richardson  iii ABSTRACT Research over the years continue to show a rising number of young girls who develop body image dissatisfaction. Research studies have clearly outlined the negative impact of body image dissatisfaction in females, including its adverse effects on self-worth, mental health, and increasing one’s risk of substance abuse. It was expected that as a result of the 4-session workshop, parents will have a better understanding of the negative impact of body image dissatisfaction, causes of body image dissatisfaction, and how to develop a positive body image in young girls. Parents attended four two-hour sessions held twice a week for two weeks. The main topics discussed included what is body dissatisfaction, the negative impact of body image dissatisfaction, causes of body dissatisfaction, and how to develop a positive body image in young girls. Pre- and post- workshop assessment scores showed an increase in participants’ knowledge of the impact of body image dissatisfaction, causes of body image dissatisfaction, and how to help young girls build a positive body image. Because this information in this workshop was well-received and parents indicated an increase in knowledge across the key domains, it is recommended that the workshop be more broadly available to more parents as well as teachers and others who work with girls in order to promote their well-being and positive development.  iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my husband David for pushing me at times when I felt like giving up. His encouragement and support throughout this process motivated me to always strive to grow, personally and academically. I would also like to thank Dr. Kamptner for guiding me through this process. Her patience and caring spirit gave me hope during times when I felt overwhelmed. I appreciate her support and encouragement through this process. I would also like to express my gratitude to my committee members Dr. Wilcox and Dr. Wong. Their feedback enhanced my work on my project. I admire how dedicated they are to their work at CSUSB. Finally, I would like to thank my two children for having patience with me when I was working long hours and wasn’t able to play with them. All my hard work was done for them.  v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..........................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………….................iv LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 Impact of Body Image Dissatisfaction........................................................ 2 Origins of Body Image Dissatisfaction.……………………………………….7 How to Develop a Positive Body Image in Young Girls............................ 18 Existing Programs and Interventions ……………………………………….30 Summary and Purpose of Project …………………………………………..32 CHAPTER TWO: METHOD................................................................................ 34 Overview.................................................................................................. 34 Development of Project Material.............................................................. 38 CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS........................................................................... 47 Pre- and Post- Self Assessments and Post- Self- Assessments ............. 47 CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION ....................................................................... 55 Pre- Post- Class Assessment .................................................................. 55 Post-Class Evaluation…………………………………………………………59 Implications and Recommendations for Future Trainings………………...63 APPENDIX A: PRE-CLASS SELF-ASSESSMENT ............................................ 65 APPENDIX B: POST-CLASS SELF-ASSESSMENT.......................................... 69 APPENDIX C: POST-CLASS EVALUATION...................................................... 73 APPENDIX D: DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE .......................................... 75  vi APPENDIX E: FLIER.......................................................................................... 77 APPENDIX F: SESSION 1 POWERPOINT........................................................ 79 APPENDIX G: SESSION 2 POWERPOINT ....................................................... 90 APPENDIX H: SESSION 3 POWERPOINT........................................................ 98 APPENDIX I: SESSION 4 POWERPOINT ....................................................... 107 APPENDIX J-1: APPROPRIATE BOOKS FOR GIRLS.................................... 115 APPENDIX J-2: BOOKS ON TOUGH DISCUSSION TOPICS......................... 117 APPENDIX J-3: LOCAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES............................... 119 REFERENCES................................................................................................. 121  vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Workshop schedule .............................................................................. 34 Table 2. Pre-and post- means for the participant self-assessment scale ........... 48 Table 3. Did you find the workshop beneficial? Why or why not?....................... 49 Table 4. What part of the workshop did you enjoy the most? ............................. 50 Table 5. What information was the most useful or helpful to you?...................... 51 Table 6. What was the most significant thing you learned from the workshop? ……………………………………………………………………………..52 Table 7. What information was the least helpful or useful to you?...................... 52 Table 8. What do you think could improve the workshop’s effectiveness? ......... 53 Table 9. To what extent do you plan to use the information acquired from this workshop in your own families?.......................................................................... 54  1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Body image dissatisfaction refers to a person’s negative opinion of their body, including their weight, and it commonly involves a conflict in perceived body image and an individual’s desired body image (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008). For example, individuals who experience an elevated amount of body image dissatisfaction think their bodies are inadequate compared to others (Grabe, Ward, & Hyde, 2008). In the U.S., the most common type of body dissatisfaction concerns weight, especially among young women (Grabe et al., 2008). In the 1980s, body image dissatisfaction was found to be widespread, particularly found in U.S. women as women ordinarily have an increase in reports of body dissatisfaction than men (Rodin, Silberstein, & Weissman, 1984; Tiggemann, 2004). Body image dissatisfaction appears to be increasing (Feingold & Mazzella, 1998) due to several external factors (discussed below). Actually, body dissatisfaction is ranked as a high psychological concern for young individuals (Nieri et al., 2005). There are 41.1% of overweight women in the U.S. who are not satisfied with being overweight. The percentage of U.S. women who are not overweight but believe they are is 47.9% (Nieri el al., 2005). It is estimated that 40 to 50 percent of U.S. women desire to lose weight (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health  2 Statistics) and 50% of U.S. women are on a diet at any given time according to Lutter (1996) in her book, The Bodywise Woman. Impact of Body Image Dissatisfaction Studies have found that body image dissatisfaction may express itself in various ways including negatively impacting self-esteem and self-worth, increasing the risk of depression, increasing the risk of eating disorders and substance abuse, and promoting feelings of shame and guilt. Self-esteem and Self-worth Studies have found that one’s dissatisfaction with their image may result in low self-esteem and low self-worth through social comparison (Vogel et al., 2015). Comparing one’s physical appearance to others often has many repercussions, especially when one compares oneself to unrealistically thin body images such as those depicted in television, magazines, and social media, resulting in viewing oneself as inadequate (Vogel et al., 2015). Low self-esteem stemming from viewing one’s self as overweight, in turn, predicts a range of adverse health outcomes and general psychological distress (De Sousa Fortes et al., 2014). Depression Research studies have found that body image dissatisfaction may also develop into depression due to the desire to attain a thin, “attractive” body figure (McCarthy, 1990). Attaining a thin body figure for women who are overweight often brings forth feelings of sadness, defeat, and even depression (Keel,  3 Mitchell, Davis, & Crow, 2001). Researchers have indicated that a link between depression and body dissatisfaction is a concern with one’s physical appearance (Wiederman & Pryor, 2000). How individuals think others perceive their physical attractiveness may also lead to depression (Noles, Steven, & Others, 1985). Based on findings that individuals who believe they are unattractive receive less social media attention than their attractive or confident peers, less attractive or desirable individuals would likely be more susceptible to depression (Noles, Steve, & Others, 1985). Feelings of not being desired is damaging to one’s perception of self (Noles et al., 1985). Therefore, distorted body images of one’s self can develop, which in turn may lead to depression. Currently, the rate of obesity in the U.S. is 34.9%, with 33% of individuals being overweight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). Research studies have indicated that increased Body Mass Index (BMI) has been linked with depression as well as body image dissatisfaction (Ivezaj et al., 2010). The consequences of childhood obesity seem to be long term, which may lead to depression and body weight dissatisfaction in adulthood (Ivezaj et al., 2010). According to research findings, women who pay a lot of attention to body image may also experience depression, resulting in body weight dissatisfaction (Wiederman & Pryor, 2000). Depression can, in turn, lead to eating pathologies, e.g., bulimia nervosa and anorexia (Boutelle et al., 2002).  4 Eating Disorders Research studies have found that body dissatisfaction can also lead to eating disorders (Tylka, 2004). Through attempts to reach the thin ideal that U.S. culture has emphasized, many women obsessively participate in strenuous exercise, diet pills, purging, and unhealthy eating habits (Hesse-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2006). The desire to attain a thinner figure can lead to severe weight management efforts which can, in turn, lead to unhealthy eating habits, obsessions with one’s ideal body image, a distorted outlook of one’s physical appearance, and disorders such as bulimia and anorexia (Boutelle et al., 2002). Many investigations have shown links between physical appearance disturbances and unhealthy eating behaviors and mental outlooks (Cash & Deagle, 1997). Eating disorders have been found to be more common in women than men (Tylka, 2004) with 90-95% of those diagnosed with eating disorders being women. Recent findings show that eating disorders do not discriminate, and are affecting younger women and girls regardless of social background or ethnicity (Hesse-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2006). Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that results in excessive weight loss and unhealthy dieting, including purging, bingeing, and excessive exercise (Brockmeyer et al., 2018). Anorexic individuals have severe concerns of weight gain along with a distorted body image (Brockmeyer et al., 2018). Younger females are more at risk of developing anorexia (Brockmeyer et al.,  5 2018). These individuals may have a history with depression, anxiety, and other disorders (Brockmeyer et al., 2018). Young women prefer to have a thin body image which leads to the drive for thinness and may result in body dissatisfaction (Brockmeyer et al., 2018). Bulimia has been found to be more prevalent than anorexia; however, individuals with bulimia may be difficult to detect due to the fact that these individuals may actually be overweight and not underweight (Hesser-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2016). Bulimics tend to be more secretive about their disorder given that the disorder is not evident in their appearance (Hesser-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2016). The death toll is uncertain with bulimia; however, the disorder has many severe health consequences such as heart and kidney failure (Hesser-Biber, Leavy, Quinn, & Zoino, 2016). A criteria by which these eating disorders are typically diagnosed is compulsively worrying about one’s weight and body image (Wiederman & Pryor, 2000). A drive for thinness has been found to be a linked to body weight dissatisfaction with women who may or may not be diagnosed with eating disorders (Wiederman & Pryor, 2000). It is possible that the drive for thinness (e.g., severe concern about weight gain and body image) is a result of the cultural beauty ideals as well as social pressures (Wiederman & Pryor, 2000). There are many social pressures women deal with in trying to attain a thin physique (Wiederman & Pryor, 2000).  6 The many possible health issues that may arise with eating disorders develop during adolescence or early adulthood including low body mass, development of depression, as well as reproductive issues such as miscarriages and induced labor (O’Brien et al., 2017). As eating disorders increase, depression and substance abuse may increase as well (The National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2003). Substance Abuse Research studies have shown that body image dissatisfaction may also lead to substance abuse (Nieri, Kulis, Keith, & Hurdle, 2005). Individuals who have body image dissatisfaction are more prone to abusing drugs as well as over the counter medications (The National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2003). Research studies indicate that women with body image dissatisfaction are more likely to develop unhealthy habits such as smoking, have a low BMI in adulthood, and are at risk for developing depression (Nieri et al., 2005). Those who are unhappy with their appearance may abuse alcohol and drugs to their attempts to cope with the negative psychological and physical outcomes linked to body dissatisfaction (Nieri et al., 2005). Shame and Guilt Studies have also found that body dissatisfaction can also result in feelings of shame and guilt. According to Conradt et al. (2007), guilt and shame may stem from an individuals’ feelings of insecurity about their physical appearance. Pila et al. (2013) found overweight individuals report more guilt and