Judged sports versus non-judged sports: An examination of how print media portray female athletes

Print media's portrayal of female athletes over the past ten years, in terms of body size, age, and race, was empirically examined. Using the Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS), estimated body size was obtained for cover models on a set of non-judged sport magazines, judged sport magazines, and fitness magazines. An investigation of the frequency with which the full bodies of models were depicted on the covers of these magazines was also conducted. Cover models on non-judged sport magazines were compared to cover models on judged sport magazines and fitness magazines. Cover models on judged sport magazines and fitness magazines are significantly thinner than cover models on non-judged sport magazines. Furthermore, judged sport magazines displayed a higher number of full-body images than non-judged sport magazines. These findings suggest that female athletes participating in judged-sports are more likely to be exposed to thin media images than those participating in non-judged sports.