Body image research is substantial, frequently cited, and frequently cited badly. Separating the well-supported from the overstated is worth doing.
What's reasonably established
Media exposure has effects. Experimental studies exposing participants to idealised images and measuring subsequent body satisfaction have consistently found short-term negative effects.
Meta-analyses have generally supported this, with effect sizes that are small to moderate and stronger for people with existing body dissatisfaction.
The short-term nature of experimental effects is a real limitation. Whether repeated exposure produces durable change is harder to establish.
Social comparison is the proposed mechanism. Effects appear stronger when comparison is upward and when the target is perceived as similar and attainable, which is consistent with comparison theory.
This may explain why social media appears more impactful than traditional media in some studies — peers are more comparable than professional models.
Body dissatisfaction is common. Surveys consistently find high rates across populations, sufficiently common that some researchers have described it as normative.
It's associated with disordered eating. Body dissatisfaction is among the more consistently identified risk factors for eating disorders, though most people with body dissatisfaction do not develop one.
What's more contested
The magnitude of social media effects. Large-scale analyses examining relationships between social media use and wellbeing have found associations that are statistically detectable and small in magnitude, comparable to other everyday variables.
Some researchers have argued that the concern is overstated relative to effect sizes; others that aggregate measures of use obscure effects on vulnerable subgroups and effects of specific content types.
The more careful position is probably that total time is a poor measure, that content type matters considerably, and that effects are concentrated rather than universal.
Whether it's worsening. Trend data on body dissatisfaction over time is mixed and depends on measurement.
Effects of specific interventions. Disclaimer labels on edited images, for instance, have produced inconsistent results, with some studies finding no effect and some finding effects in unintended directions.
What appears to help
Interventions with reasonable support.
Cognitive dissonance-based programmes. Participants voluntarily argue against the thin ideal, which produces attitude change through the discomfort of holding contradictory positions. This approach has among the strongest evidence in prevention research.
Media literacy education. Teaching how images are constructed and selected. Evidence is reasonable, with effects varying by programme.
Reducing exposure to appearance-focused content. Studies asking participants to reduce or curate their social media feeds have found improvements, and this is one of the more actionable findings.
Specifically, unfollowing appearance-focused accounts and following diverse-appearance accounts has shown effects in several studies.
Functionality focus. Interventions directing attention to what a body does rather than how it appears have shown positive effects.
Cognitive behavioural approaches for clinical presentations, which have the strongest evidence for treatment as opposed to prevention.
What doesn't appear to help
Appearance-based praise, including positive comments. Research suggests that comments focused on appearance, even complimentary ones, reinforce appearance as a basis for evaluation.
Fat talk. Conversational self-criticism about appearance, which is socially normative in some groups and has been associated with worse outcomes for participants and observers.
Dieting. Consistently identified as a risk factor for disordered eating, and one of the more robust findings in this literature.
The male dimension
Under-researched historically and increasingly examined.
Body dissatisfaction among men and boys is substantial and takes different forms — frequently oriented towards muscularity rather than thinness.
Muscle dysmorphia and appearance-related supplement and steroid use are documented concerns, and they receive considerably less attention.
Research suggests men are less likely to seek help for body image concerns and less likely to have them recognised.
Practical suggestions
Curate rather than restrict. Following accounts showing varied bodies and appearance-neutral content appears more effective than reducing total time.
Notice comparison as it happens. The mechanism operates below awareness and naming it interrupts it.
Avoid appearance commentary, including compliments, particularly with children. Comment on what somebody has done rather than how they look.
Don't engage in self-critical appearance talk, which affects listeners as well as speakers.
And be aware that appearance-focused industries have a commercial interest in dissatisfaction, which is worth holding in mind when evaluating anything they publish.
General information only. If you have concerns about body image or eating, please speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
Talking to children about it
Since attitudes form early and adults transmit a great deal without intending to.
Avoid commenting on children's bodies, including positively. Appearance-focused praise establishes appearance as a basis for evaluation regardless of its direction.
Avoid commenting on your own body critically in front of them, which is one of the more consistently identified transmission routes.
Avoid describing foods as good or bad, which associates eating with moral judgement.
And respond to appearance-related comments from them by redirecting to function and capability rather than by reassuring about appearance, which keeps the frame on how bodies look.