This study investigated the prevalence of appearance and weight-related concerns in 879 Australian brides-to-be recruited from five bridal websites. Close to 75 per cent of the sample intended to exercise more and follow a ‘healthy eating plan’, while over 35 per cent planned to cut fat or carbohydrates out of their diets. On average, participants wished to lose over 8kg (18lbs) by their wedding day, and one-third had been told to lose weight by someone else for the wedding. These findings demonstrate the salience of appearance concerns among brides-to-be and highlight the need to promote a healthier bridal body ideal.
Anonymous. (2008). A pre-nuptial contract ... for the bridesmaid. Daily Mail, 4 February. http://global.factiva.com (accessed 4 February 2008 ).
2.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). Marriages, Australia 2007 (No. 3306.0.55.001). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
3.
Banerjee, S.C., Campo, S., & Greene, K. ( 2008). Fact or wishful thinking? Biased expectations in ‘I think I look better when I’m tanned’. American Journal of Health Behavior, 32, 243-252.
4.
Cafri, G., Thompson, J.K., Roehrig, M., van den Berg, P., Jacobsen, P.B., & Stark, S. ( 2006). An investigation of appearance motives for tanning: The development and evaluation of the Physical Appearance Reasons for Tanning Scale (PARTS) and its relation to sunbathing and indoor tanning intentions . Body Image, 3, 199-209.
5.
Cash, T.F., Melnyk, S.E., & Hrabosky, J.I. (2004). The assessment of body image investment: An extensive revision of the Appearance Schemas Inventory . International Journal of Eating Disorders, 35, 305-316.
6.
Danoff-Burg, S., & Mosher, C.E. ( 2006). Predictors of tanning salon use: Behavioral alternatives for enhancing appearance, relaxing and socializing. Journal of Health Psychology, 11, 511-520.
7.
Deluca, A. ( 2007). Bridal body work-out. Cosmopolitan Bride , 15, 190-195.
8.
Grabe, S., Ward, L.M., & Hyde, J.S. ( 2008). The role of the media in body image concerns among women: A meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies. Psychological Bulletin, 134, 460-476.
9.
Groesz, L.M., Levine, M.P., & Murnen, S.K. ( 2002). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 1-16.
10.
Jackson, K.M., & Aiken, L.S. ( 2000). A psychosocial model of sun protection and sunbathing in young women: The impact of health beliefs, attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy for sun protection. Health Psychology, 19, 469-478.
11.
Neighbors, L.A., & Sobal, J. ( 2008). Weight and weddings: Women’s weight ideals and weight management behaviors for their wedding day. Appetite , 50, 550-554.
12.
Nuijens, N., & Billias, M. ( 2004). Bride-orexia: When losing a few kilos becomes an obsession . Cosmopolitan Bride, Spring, 102-104.
13.
Pole, M., Crowther, J.H., & Schell, J. ( 2004). Body dissatisfaction in married women: The role of spousal influence and marital communication patterns. Body Image, 1, 267-278.
Prichard, I., & Tiggemann, M. ( 2008). An examination of pre-wedding body image concerns in brides and brides-maids. Body Image, 5, 395-398.
16.
Rodgers, R.F., Paxton, S.J., & Chabrol, H. ( 2009). Effects of parental comments on body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance in young adults: A sociocultural model. Body Image, 6, 171-177.
17.
Saurine, A. ( 2009). Couples spending an average of $50,000 on their wedding day. Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,28323,25071777-14327,00.html (accessed 18 February 2009).
18.
Schembri, C., & Evans, L. ( 2008). Adverse relationship processes: The attempts of women with bulimia nervosa symptoms to fit the perceived ideal of intimate partners . European Eating Disorders Review, 16, 59-66.
19.
Sobal, J., Bove, C., & Rauschenbach, B. (1999). Weight and weddings. The social construction of beautiful brides. In J. Sobal & D. Maurer (Eds.), Interpreting weight: The social management of fatness and thinness (pp. 113-135). New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
20.
Steffen, K.J., Mitchell, J.E., Roerig, J.L., & Lancaster, K.L. (2007). The eating disorders medicine cabinet revisited: A clinician’s guide to Ipecac and laxatives. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 360-368.
21.
Stice, E. ( 2002). Risk and maintenance factors for eating pathology: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 825-848.
22.
Stice, E., Presnell, K., & Spangler, D. ( 2002). Risk factors for binge eating onset in adolescent girls: A 2-year prospective investigation. Health Psychology, 21, 131-138.
23.
The ups and downs of love. (2006). Woman’s Day, 18 September, 71.
24.
Tiggemann, M. ( 2004). Body image across the adult life span: Stability and change. Body Image, 1, 29-41.
25.
Tredwin, C.J., Naik, S., Lewis, N.J., & Scully, C. ( 2006). Hydrogen peroxide tooth-whitening (bleaching) products: Review of adverse effects and safety issues. British Dental Journal, 200, 371-376.
26.
Van den Berg, P., Thompson, J.K., Obremski-Brandon, K., & Coovert, M.D. ( 2002). The Tripartite Influence Model of body image and eating disturbance: A covariance structure modeling investigation testing the mediational role of appearance comparison. Journal of Psychosomatic Research , 53, 1007-1020.
27.
Villepigue, J., Rivera, H.A., & Alfieri, R. ( 2005). The body sculpting bible for brides: A complete workout to look your best in your wedding dress. New York: Hatherleigh Press.
28.
Wong, G. ( 2005). Ka-ching! Wedding price tag nears $30K. http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/20/pf/weddings/ (accessed 18 November 2008).
29.
Yamamiya, Y., Cash, T.F., Melnyk, S.E., Posavac, H.D., & Posavac, S.S. ( 2005). Women’s exposure to thin-and-beautiful media images: Body image effects of media-ideal internalization and impact-reduction interventions . Body Image, 2, 74-80.
