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The sociocultural standard of beauty is synonymous with a level of thinness that is unobtainable for most women, and the substantial and growing discrepancy between females' perceptions of the ideal body size and the body size of the average women is well-documented. As women become fixated with trying to attain this unrealistic ideal point, many of them are engaging in a variety of unhealthy behaviors that are illustrated by a number of alarming trends. For example, the National Eating Disorders Association reports a continuous increase in eating disorders (for example, anorexia and bulimia) in the last decade. Additionally, the number of consumers having cosmetic procedures performed continues to grow, with women representing over 90 percent of the total. Recently, the American Medical Association asked the ad industry to stop photo-shopping photographs because of the unhealthy messages they promote. Some brands, such as Aerie, and most recently CVS, have stopped the use of airbrushing. However, the media continues to predominantly feature models with the thin-ideal.

Interestingly, research demonstrates that although idealized imagery negatively impacts young women's self-esteem and body satisfaction, they prefer the idealized ads to untouched ads that feature "real" or plus-size models. My research with Dan Rice and Amanda Mabry-Flynn used theory rooted in social comparison and goal attainability to examine ads that featured thin versus plus-size models in advertisements for weight loss products. We replicated prior work that shows women prefer the ads that feature the thin-model, despite the fact that the thin model resulted in lower self-esteem and less favorable self-perceptions. Further, we found that women's perceptions of achieving their goal of weight loss mitigated these negative effects; when young women felt they could achieve their goal, their self-perceptions were not lower than women who were exposed to a plus-size model. Additionally, shame explains these effects. We found that women who believe the goal is attainable are able to overcome feelings of shame, whereas women who view the goal as unattainable experience shame, which then results in lower self-esteem and self-perceptions.

These findings offer interesting implications from both a marketing and public policy perspective. Brands who manufacture self-improvement products (e.g., weight loss, anti-aging) are in an interesting position. Since females are often seeking improvement and such goals are often highlighted in image-based advertisements that feature thin models, arguably, these types of effects are likely robust in the marketplace. Should marketers attempt to alleviate this discrepancy? If so, our research indicates marketers have a straightforward solution: communicate the attainability of the goal. That is, explain that by using the product, consumers can achieve the goals conveyed in the advertisement. This attainability claim still produces favorable effects for the brand so the brand benefits, but it also protects self-perceptions potentially making the ads less destructive to female consumers. However, this work also demonstrates the power of product claims and deceptive advertising. It is cautioned that these claims need to be truly attainable and marketers, as per specific legal guidelines required in all advertising, need to be able to substantiate their claims.

Should photoshopping be regulated in the United States? If so, should the regulation be directed towards certain product categories? Explain.