ABSTRACT
The constructs of body image and social desirability have evolved over the years but have consistently been defined by Western standards and deeply rooted in cultural biases. For decades, various iterations of mass media have curated a euro-centered ideal for social desirability that is characteristically female, thin, tanned, physically fit, and Caucasian. Today, the most prominently used platforms for social desirability are social networking sites (SNSs), in concert with the fashion and diet industries, which have perpetuated body ideal values, such as thinness, offering women a steady cache of information and resources to measure their own body image against mainstream standards. Over the years, numerous studies have emerged, highlighting the unique combination of culture, SNSs, and peer influences on the growing prevalence of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among women around the world. Unfortunately, research is still limited in its representation of African American women as an at-risk population for body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and other psychological disorders related to self-harming behaviors. Many of these studies suggest African American women are more accepting of weight fluctuations, tolerant of higher BMIs, and less likely to engage in disordered eating behaviors. This misconception has contributed largely to the increased prevalence of eating disorders among African American women, as well as the continued oversight in clinical consideration, evaluation, and treatment of eating disorders broadly.
