Exploring the links between celebrity worship, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating among young adult celebrity worshippers in China

Abstract

Considerable evidence exists on the associations of celebrity worship with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. However, relevant findings are confined to Western contexts and thinness-oriented body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Consequently, the relationships of celebrity worship with muscularity-oriented body dissatisfaction and disordered eating are largely underexplored, especially in non-Western countries. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the relationships of celebrity worship with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in China. A total of 593 young adult celebrity worshippers in China were recruited online. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted. In contrast to previous findings, celebrity worship was not associated with thinness-oriented body dissatisfaction. However, significant associations were identified between celebrity worship and muscularity-oriented body dissatisfaction for men (r = 0.32, p < .001) and women (r = 0.26, p < .001), thinness-oriented disordered eating for men (r = 0.31, p < .001) and women (r = 0.37, p < .001), and muscularity-oriented disordered eating for men (r = 0.58, p < .001). Body image inflexibility mediated the associations between celebrity worship and disordered eating in men and women. Findings indicate that celebrity worship correlates positively with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in Chinese young adults.

Keywords: Body dissatisfaction; Celebrity worship; Chinese; Disordered eating.