Is thin really in?

Abstract

As Americans are consistently gaining weight and becoming more unhealthy, it is important that we begin to look at overweight audiences as unique. This project examined how audiences were formed around the non-popular medium of plus-size magazines and whether women were willing to be associated with media that does not have socially acceptable images, such as plus-size magazines. Though overweight women were attracted to plus-size magazines after they were introduced to it, they were also attracted to non-plus-size magazines as well. The results of this study suggest that many readers will use media at least in part to feel connected to a group to which they want to belong, as opposed to the group to which they actually belong.