Easing the Teasing: The Effects of Appearance-Related Feedback on Body Image Disturbance, Eating Pathology, Body Change Behaviors, and Self-Objectification
January 2010
in “
STARS (University of Central Florida)
”
TLDR Negative comments about appearance harm men's body image and eating habits, while positive comments can help but may lead to more focus on changing appearance.
The study explored the impact of appearance-related feedback on men, revealing that negative commentary led to increased eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, distress, and engagement in compulsive exercising and appearance-change behaviors. Conversely, positive commentary resulted in more favorable outcomes, such as reduced dissatisfaction and pathology, though it still encouraged appearance-change behaviors. The research suggested that men were similarly affected by negative feedback as women, but responded more positively to positive feedback. Self-objectification did not significantly influence the relationship between feedback and outcomes in men, unlike in women.
