“Everybody Knows That Mass Media are/are not [pick one] a Cause of Eating Disorders”: A Critical Review of Evidence for a Causal Link Between Media, Negative Body Image, and Disordered Eating in Females

This article reviews research pertaining to mass media as a causal risk factor for negative body image and disordered eating in females. The specific purpose is to clarify the impact of mass media by applying seven criteria that extend those of Kraemer et al. (1997) and Stice (2002). Although media effects clearly meet a majority of the criteria, this analysis indicates that, currently, engagement with mass media is probably best considered a...