Body norms, body image, and media in a market-integrating indigenous population in Argentina: A mixed-methods investigation

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between media, body norms, and body image among the Qom, a market-integrating indigenous population in Argentina that has historically idealized larger body sizes. Methods: With men and women (n = 87), we measured frequency of media/technology use through a Likert-type questionnaire. Using the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale, we asked participants to select the most healthy and ideal body size for their gender, as well as their own body size. We calculated body dissatisfaction as the difference between ideal and own body size. We conducted semi-structured interviews to describe the role of media in body norms and body image. Results: Media exposure was not significantly associated with perceptions of the “healthiest” or most “ideal” body sizes, nor body dissatisfaction. Men and women perceived categorically “middle-range” body sizes as both healthy and ideal, differing from a similar study in 2010, where larger bodies were favored. Interviews revealed that: media is not recognized as affecting body norms and body image, but is conceptually associated with cultural loss (Theme 1); a “dual stigma” of fatness and thinness is perpetuated by peers, family, and healthcare providers (Theme 2); and body acceptance is highly valued (Theme 3). Conclusion: In this context, while some body norms have changed over time, the impact of media on body norms and image may be secondary to influences from individuals' social networks, and may be occluded by norms favoring body acceptance.