Recently, many controversies have surfaced in the news regarding the increase in negative body image among women. This negative body image can lead to a number of different problems in individuals, including low self-esteem, eating disorders, and depression. Some factors that may influence this increase in negative body image include age, peer influence, and family influence. One of the main factors that has influenced the way people perceive themselves is the media. According to Aubrey (2006), “an objectifying culture is propagated primarily through the media” (p. 159). Everything from magazines to television to celebrities can impact how people perceive themselves. The population most affected by this problem in our society is young women. Social comparison, that is, the fact that a person compares their own body to that of others, is a common factor in internalizing the ideal of thinness and dissatisfaction with one's body (Bessenoff, 2006, p. 239). Literature Review Although body dissatisfaction is more popular among young women, the age of onset is much younger. Research by Cusumano and Thompson (cited in Dohnt & Tiggemann, p. 141) suggests that the age of onset is in preadolescent girls (ages 8 to 11), where young girls begin to experience body dissatisfaction and l idea of ​​being thinner. In a study done to investigate body image in girls as young as 5 to 8 years old, it was found that concerns about the body begin at this young age (Dohnt and Tiggemann, 2006, p. 148). Because the desire to be thin starts at such a young age, it usually gets worse as girls get older. The more media they are exposed to as they get older, that has a lot to do with it. In another study, it was found that regardless of the type of media,...... middle of paper ......5.00107.xDohnt, HK and Tiggemann, M. (2006). Body image problems in young girls: the role of peers and the media before adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(2), 135-145. doi:10.1007/s10964-005-9020-7Krahé, B. and Krause, C. (2010). The presentation of thin media models affects women's choice of diet or normal snacks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34(3), 349-355. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2010.01580.xRidolfi, D., Myers, T., Crowther, J., & Ciesla, J. (2011). Do appearance-focused cognitive distortions moderate the relationship between social comparisons with peers and media images and body image disturbances? Sex Roles, 65(7), 491-505. doi:10.1007/s11199-011-9961-0Tiggemann, M. & Polivy, J. (2010). Up and down: Social comparison processing of thin idealized media images. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 34(3), 356-364. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2010.01581.x