Posted by Dawn Beaumont Cockcroft on 2026-09-07
A new paper published in FIELDS examines the long-term effects of marketing, media messaging, and beauty ideals on body image and self-perception among females in the UK.
Read this article for free, along with many more pieces of research published by the University of Huddersfield Press.
Researcher Helen Kingston provides the summary:
Eating disorders and body image concerns are on the rise, with hospital admissions in England increasing by 84% between 2015/16 and 2020/21. Although social media is often blamed for fuelling unrealistic beauty standards, my research explores an important question: how much of today's body dissatisfaction is rooted in the media messages women grew up with decades earlier?
My research focuses on women who came of age during the "heroin chic" era of the 1990s and early 2000s, when extreme thinness was celebrated across fashion, television and popular culture. Through their experiences, I examine how media-driven fat-shaming and narrow ideals of beauty continue to shape body image, relationships with food and mental wellbeing.
By looking beyond today's social media landscape, this research highlights the lasting influence of cultural beauty standards and contributes to wider conversations about body image, eating disorders and the role of the media in shaping how we see ourselves.
Open Access Huddersfield Research Body Image Self-Perception Social Media Beauty Standards Mental Health Media Influence Women