Skinny Models Inspire Masochism In Women

Skinny models inspire masochism in women – this is according to the recent study by the business professors of Villanova University and the College of New Jersey. The study shows that thin models make women feel bad, but they like it.

In simple terms, women are upset by thin models but they tend to buy products from these so-called skinny models than with those products endorsed by regular size models.

"They (women) have higher evaluation of the brands. With the more regular-size models, they don't feel bad. Their body image doesn't change. But in terms of evaluations of the brands, those are actually lower," says one of the researcher Karen Becker-Olsen.

Further studies showed that women tend to suppress their appetite after seeing product advertisements featuring skinny models. Women may be feeling bad for their not-so-thin bodies but they are actually loving the fact that the products featured on ads are endorsed by skinny models and unconsciously want to become thin themselves – thus reaching to a conclusion that skinny models inspire masochism in women.

The research was prompted by Dove's “Campaign For Real Beauty.” A spokesman for Dove's company, Unilever, believed that while it may still be true that skinny models inspire masochism in women, it is good to see a growing trend in using healthy looking women in advertising. In his words,“There is no question that women and young girls are being bombarded with unrealistic messages and images of beauty that impact their self-esteem. We are excited to see now (and have seen in the past couple of years) a growing trend towards more realistic and healthy looking women in advertising and in the media."