Body Mass Index and Nationality (Argentine vs. Spanish) Moderate the Relationship Between Internalization of the Thin Ideal and Body Dissatisfaction: A Conditional Mediation Model

It is believed that Women’s exposure to Western sociocultural pressures to attain a “thin-ideal” results in the internalization of a desire to be thin that consequently leads to body dissatisfaction (BD). It is also well documented that body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) correlates with BD. We tested for the first time a conditional mediation model where thin-ideal Awareness predicted BD through Internalization of the thin ideal and the path from Internalization to BD was hypothesized to be moderated by BMI and Nationality (Argentine vs. Spanish). The model was tested with a sample of 499 young women (age = 18 to 29) from Argentina (n = 290) and Spain (n = 209). Awareness and internalization were measured with the SATAQ-4 (Schaefer et al., 2015) and BD was measured with the BSQ (Cooper et al., 1987). The model was analyzed using PROCESSv3.1 (Hayes, 2018). As hypothesized, thin-ideal awareness predicted BD through internalization and the path from internalization to BD was moderated by BMI and nationality. Specifically, internalization predicted BD at all level of BMI and in both samples, but the relationship between internalization and BD increased with BMI and was also stronger among Spaniards than Argentines. We argue that the findings are congruent with theories that predict that economic development and modernization contribute to normative female BD through internalization of the thin ideal and that upward social comparisons or cognitive discrepancy between self-perceived body image and the sociocultural thin ideal interacts synergistically with thin-ideal internalization to increase BD

Honest Placebo Effects on Food Cravings Following a 12-Hour, Overnight Fasting Period

A new line of products sold as “honest placebos” are advertised as effective for the reduction of symptoms of distress, and for wellbeing enhancement. The present study sought to scientifically examine whether a commercially available honest placebo could reduce hunger and food cravings. Using information made available by the vendor in their marketing pitch, participants received a brief presentation on why and how placebos may help reduce food cravings and hunger. They then were instructed to fast for 12-h and return to the lab for a series of tests and to have breakfast. Participants were given five honest-placebo pills and instructed to take one immediately, one right before their bed time, and one when they woke in the morning. They were also told they could take the remaining two pills as needed to reduce hunger. Upon returning to the lab in the morning, participants were randomly assigned to complete the Food Cravings Questionnaire-State either before or after breakfast. The study also included a non-placebo control group. We hypothesized that participants in the placebo group would report lower food cravings before breakfast than participants in the non-placebo group. *Data collection complete, analysis in progres