Internalization of Western standards of appearance, body dissatisfaction and dieting in urban educated Ukrainian females

To examine body image, internalization of the ‘thin ideal’, and dieting practices in a female population in Ukraine, a country of the former Soviet Union, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 616 females aged 18–60 years in Lviv, Ukraine. A quarter of underweight (BMI < 20) and three-fifths of normal-weight (BMI 20–25) subjects desired a thinner figure; 31 per cent (38 per cent of those aged 25 years and under) reported dieting in the previous 6 months. Internalization of the Western ‘thin ideal’ was correlated with exposure to Western media. Younger women, overweight women, and those who desired a thinner figure as depicted in Western media were at higher risk of dieting. ‘Dieters’ differed from ‘non-dieters’ mainly with respect to consumption and perceptions of fats and certain starches (white bread, pasta, potatoes). This study provides an insight into predictors of food choice, and has implications for developing nutrition policy in Ukraine, and other neighbouring post-communist countries. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.