Positive comments, negative outcomes? The potential downsides of appearance-related commentary in ethnically diverse women

- Ethnic minorities had poorer responses to positive comments than European Americans.
- African Americans had poorer responses to negative comments than European Americans.
- Responses to positive comments are linked to poor body image in African Americans.
- Responses to negative comments are linked to eating pathology in all ethnic groups.

Although research has shown that appearance-related commentary influences body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, limited research has studied such commentary among ethnically diverse women. The current study examined ethnic group differences in the frequency and impact of appearance-related commentary and associations with body dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology. Participants included 280 undergraduate women aged 18-25 (56.1% European American, 28.6% African American, and 15.3% Latina American). Results indicated no ethnic group differences in frequencies of positive weight/shape, positive general appearance, or negative weight/shape commentary while controlling for BMI. However, African American and Latina American women reported stronger negative responses to positive weight/shape commentary than European American women. Negative responses to positive weight/shape commentary were correlated with more body dissatisfaction in African American women, after controlling for frequency of commentary. Findings suggest that positive weight/shape commentary may be associated with poor outcomes in a subgroup of ethnic minority college women.