From beauty short video engagement to dietary restraint: Beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification as serial mediators

Introduction

With the advent of the self-media era, various types of short videos have emerged on social media such as TikTok, Kuaishou, and XiaoHongshu, achieving high viewership numbers (Huang & Zhao, 2023). Especially, young women are often exposed to short videos showing beauty content on TikTok, Kuaishou, WeChat, and XiaoHongshu. These short videos have greatly amplified the impact of the singular aesthetic standard. It’s very easy for young women to internalize these standards and unconsciously use these content creators as a reference for body comparison because of their dynamic postures, everyday situations, and natural expressions. Additionally, the highly liked bullet comments, like “so slim, so gorgeous,” are superimposed directly on the screen. Secondly, the instant feedback mechanism of short video algorithms will quickly form an information cocoon of singular aesthetic content. That is, as long as young women have browsed a small amount of beauty-related content, the algorithm will continuously push content of the same type to them. Therefore, to achieve the ideal appearance image promoted by short videos, young women limit the intake of high-calorie food or diet (Martins et al., 2009; Mask & Blanchard, 2011; Huang & Zhao, 2023).

It’s worthy of notice that dietary restraint represents a significant health concern faced by young women (Field et al., 2010; Beekman et al., 2017). Short-term control over food intake can result in nutritional deficiencies, insufficient energy, and mental health issues (Habib et al., 2023). Prolonged dieting leads to severe eating disorders and increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006; Montani et al., 2015). Thus, it is important to examine the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint and the underlying mechanism. The present study aims to examine the association between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women, as well as the mediating effect of beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification.

Beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint

The Tripartite Influence Theory posits that sociocultural pressures from media, family, and peers impact eating behaviors (Thompson et al., 1999). According to the Tripartite Influence Theory, beauty short video engagement can predict dietary restraint in young women. Moreover, previous studies also provided a basis for examining this relationship. A study has shown that exposure to magazines affects women’s eating behaviors (Tiggemann, 2003). Women who frequently consume idealized body images (idealized thinness) presented in magazines are prompted to engage in dietary control behaviors to attain these idealized body images (Slevec & Tiggemann, 2011).

In addition, some studies explored the relationship between social media, social networking, and women’s eating behaviors (Qi & Cui, 2018; Yumen et al., 2023; Thompson et al., 2023). The studies on Facebook use indicate that discussions about obesity on the platform increase women’s concern about their body image, thereby increasing the risk of eating disorders (Mabe et al., 2014; Walker et al., 2015). The research on Instagram and Pinterest use also found similar results: women who use Instagram and Pinterest frequently tend to exhibit binge eating, dieting behaviors, and eating disorders (Thompson et al., 2023). Dietary control behaviors also emerge after women watch videos featuring idealized body images (Trottier et al., 2007; Mask & Blanchard, 2011). For instance, when watching film clips featuring slim female models, restrictive eaters report greater body dissatisfaction and consume fewer snacks compared to non-restrictive eaters.

Mediating effect of beauty ideals internalization

Previous studies identified that women with higher exposure to television and magazines were more likely to internalize the idealized body presented in media, making them more susceptible to eating disorders (Tiggemann, 2003; Slevec & Tiggemann, 2011). However, there is limited research on the mediating of beauty ideals internalization in the relationship between beauty short video engagement and women’s eating behaviors. Some studies have focused on the relationship between social media use and women’s beauty ideals internalization and found an association between these two (Jung et al., 2022; Delgado-Rodríguez et al., 2022; Rafati et al., 2023). For instance, Jung et al. (2022) found that the higher the intensity of social media use among women, the more likely they are to internalize the ideal thin body presented on social media. Particularly, the more women engage in appearance-related photo activities on social media, the more they internalize the ideals of body shape and appearance (Lee & Lee, 2021; Duan et al., 2022). Moreover, Nerini et al. (2024) show that exposure to retouched versus unaltered Instagram images, especially when combined with disclaimers, influences thin-ideal internalization and acceptance of cosmetic surgery.

In addition, numerous studies confirmed that the internalization of ideal thinness is the risk factor for women’s eating pathology (Stice & Whitenton, 2002; Zainal et al., 2020; Wilson et al., 2022; Malik et al., 2024). Women with severe internalization of the ideal of thinness often resort to excessive dieting and strict control of high-calorie food intake in an attempt to achieve this ideal, which can trigger severe eating disorders (Morton et al., 2020; Wilson et al., 2022). An eight-year prospective study tested the correlates of eating disorder symptoms in women and found that among 51 women exhibiting symptoms of eating disorders, 47% had experienced pressure to be thin or had internalized the ideal of thinness before the onset of their eating disorder symptoms (Stice & Van Ryzin, 2019).

Mediating effect of self-objectification

According to the Objectification Theory, women influenced by a sociocultural environment of sexual objectification experience various forms of sexual objectification, which can indirectly affect eating disorders through self-objectification (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997; Sun, 2016). For instance, the frequent consumption of beauty magazines and female-oriented television dramas can trigger women to engage in more frequent appearance monitoring (Skowronski et al., 2022; Hu & Gu, 2023). Further study has found that compared to traditional media (such as television), engagement with video games or online media results in stronger self-objectification (Karsay et al., 2018). In social media, similar results also be found that higher exposure to social media correlated with higher self-reported self-objectification scores (Fioravanti et al., 2022; Gurtala & Fardouly, 2023).

Fioravanti et al. (2022) found that social media features images of women with idealized appearances, and frequently viewing these idealized images can increase negative emotions and appearance monitoring (Fioravanti et al., 2022). Similarly, research on women’s TikTok use has found that watching short videos featuring ideal appearances on TikTok increases their dissatisfaction with their appearance, negative emotions, and self-objectification (Gurtala & Fardouly, 2023). In addition, Nerini et al. (2024) also demonstrate that public self-awareness and sociocultural influences (including media and significant others) are key predictors of body dissatisfaction and cosmetic surgery acceptance.

Self-objectification is a risk factor for dietary restraint (Niu et al., 2020; Zhao et al., 2024). A longitudinal study of college students indicated that under the influence of online media and mass media, college students are very concerned about how others perceive their appearance, and they engage in strict monitoring of their appearance, reporting more instances of restrictive eating (Zhao et al., 2024). No statistically significant differences were detected between the genders in the study. However, a meta-analysis found that compared to men, the association between self-objectification and dietary restraint is stronger for women (Schaefer & Thompson, 2018). In other words, women are more objectified in the media, report more experiences of objectification and self-objectification, and are more frequently evaluated based solely on their appearance (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997; Klonoff et al., 2000; Schaefer & Thompson, 2018; Zhao et al., 2024). When exposed to objectifying information, trigger their self-objectification, exhibit fear of negative evaluations of their appearance, and expect to change their appearance through dietary restraint (Guo et al., 2021; Fan & Cui, 2024).

Serial mediating effect

A positive correlation between beauty ideals internalization and women’s self-objectification has been confirmed by previous studies (Huang et al., 2020). Moreover, a study on female college students’ Instagram use found that the internalization of aesthetic cultural standards mediated the relationship between Instagram use and self-objectification (Feltman & Szymanski, 2018). This suggests that women’s experiences of sexual objectification are significant triggers for internalizing ideal beauty, and these experiences can indirectly predict women’s self-objectification through beauty ideals internalization (Vandenbosch & Eggermont, 2012; Huang et al., 2020; Jankauskiene & Baceviciene, 2022; Hocking & Gondoli, 2023).

The present study

According to the Tripartite Influence Theory, the Objectification Theory, and previous studies, we propose the following hypotheses (the hypothesis figure sees Figure 1): Hypothesis 1. Beauty short video engagement positively predicts dietary restraint among young women; Hypothesis 2. Beauty ideals internalization mediates the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women; Hypothesis 3. Self-objectification mediates the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women; Hypothesis 4. Beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification have a serial mediation effect in the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women.

Figure 1. The figure of research hypotheses

Methods

Participants

This survey was conducted through the online survey platform Wenjuanxing. The survey subjects were selected as women aged 18 to 35. Before the survey was carried out, the participants’ informed consent was obtained. This survey was conducted by three Chinese college students, who randomly distributed the questionnaires to women aged 18 to 35 through the Wenjuanxing online platform and collated the questionnaire survey data. In total, 346 questionnaires were collected. Then, samples with missing values were excluded. Ultimately, the study yielded 312 valid questionnaires, representing an effective rate of 90.17%. Participants’ average age was 24.37 years (standard deviation = 4.95), and their average body mass index was 20.12 (standard deviation = 2.74). The sample comprised 148 rural residents (47.44%) and 164 urban residents (52.56%). Among the respondents, 80 were only children (25.64%), and 232 were non-only children (74.36%). Educational attainment included 3 individuals (0.96%) with junior high school or lower, 14 individuals (4.49%) with high school education, 273 individuals (87.50%) with bachelor’s degrees, and 22 individuals (7.05%) with graduate degrees.

Measures

To revise the Beauty Video Usage Intensity Scale compiled by Zeng and Ye (2022) to measure beauty short video engagement. This scale is made up of six items, like “Watching beauty short video is something I do every day.” It uses a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 being “strongly disagree” and 5 being “strongly agree.” A higher score indicates greater beauty short video engagement among young women. In this study, Cronbach’ s α = 0.92. We also conducted the Cronbach’ s α if Item Deleted. The test results showed that deleting any single item would not cause the Cronbach’ s α to exceed 0.92. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that χ²/df = 2.70, CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.07, RMR = 0.03.

The Beauty Ideals Internalization Scale was adapted from the Internalization Subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire developed by Heinberg et al. (1995), with the item wording modified to better suit the context of short videos. The adapted scale consists of five items (e.g., “The people featured in short videos represent the appearance I aspire to”). With scores ranging from 1 to 5, it employs a 5-point Likert scale that goes from “completely disagree” to “completely agree.” A higher score indicates a greater severity of beauty ideals internalization among young women. In this study, Cronbach’ s α = 0.90.

The self-objectification of young women was measured using the Surveillance Subscale from the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale developed by Lindberg et al. (2006). The scale consists of four items (e.g., “I often compare how I look with how other people look”). It implements a seven-point Likert scale that spans from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree,” with scores assigned from 1 to 7. A higher score indicates a greater level of self-objectification among young women. In this study, Cronbach’ s α = 0.90.

The dietary restraint of young women were measured using the Cognitive Restraint Subscale from the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire revised by Karlsson et al. (2000). The Cognitive Restraint Scale is designed to measure dietary restraint, that is, control over food intake in order to influence body weight and body shape. The scale consists of six items (e.g., “I deliberately take small helpings as a means of controlling my weight”). Items 1–3 are scored from 1 to 4, ranging from “definitely false” to “definitely true”; item 4 is scored from 1 to 4, ranging from “almost never” to “almost always”; item 5 is scored from 1 to 4, ranging from “unlikely” to “very likely”; and item 6 uses a scoring range of 1 to 8. A higher score indicates more severe dietary restraint among young women. In this study, Cronbach’ s α = 0.82.

This study also collects the age, height, weight, hukou, and education level of participants. According to previous studies, age and BMI are correlated with eating disorder (Tzoneva et al., 2015; Chu et al., 2021). Therefore, the study added age and BMI into the model as control variables.

Data analysis

The questionnaire data were entered and preprocessed using SPSS 27.0. BMI was calculated using the formula weight/height². All variables underwent descriptive statistical analysis, with frequencies and percentages used for categorical variables, while means and standard deviations were applied to continuous variables. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlations between the study variables, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Mediation analysis was conducted using Model 6 in SPSS PROCESS 4.0. A statistically significant mediation effect is established when the point estimate falls within the confidence interval that excludes zero.

Results

Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis

The Table 1 indicate that beauty short video engagement is correlated with beauty ideals internalization (r = 0.76, p < 0.05), self-objectification (r = 0.68, p < 0.05), and dietary restraint (r = 0.53, p < 0.05). Additionally, beauty ideals internalization is correlated with self-objectification (r = 0.74, p < 0.05) and dietary restraint (r = 0.57, p < 0.05). Self-objectification is also correlated with dietary restraint (r = 0.55, p < 0.05).

Mediating effects of beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification

As shown in Table 2 and Figure 2, before the age and BMI were added, there was a positive association between beauty short video engagement and beauty ideals internalization (β = 0.76, p < 0.05). Beauty short video engagement was positively correlated with self-objectification (β = 0.28, p < 0.001); beauty ideals internalization was positively correlated with self-objectification (β = 0.52, p < 0.001). Moreover, Beauty short video engagement was positively correlated with dietary (β = 0.17, p < 0.05); Beauty ideals internalization was positively correlated with dietary (β = 0.27, p < 0.001). Self-objectification was positively correlated with dietary (β = 0.24, p < 0.001). After adding the age and BMI, those positive associations still exist. Additionally, to exclude the risk of collinearity, conduct a collinearity test. The VIF values of all variables in the regression results were less than 5, which means there was no multicollinearity.

Figure 2. The effect sizes of each path

As shown in Table 3, the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint is mediated by beauty ideals internalization (indirect effect = 0.17, 95%CI: [.05, 0.29]) and self-objectification (indirect effect = 0.06, 95%CI: [0.01, 0.11]). Moreover, self-objectification and beauty ideals internalization act as serial mediators in the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint, with a indirect effect of 0.08 (95%CI: [0.02, 0.15]).

Discussion

Based on the Tripartite Influence Theory, the objectification theory, and previous studies, this study investigated the associations between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint, as well as the mediation of beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification. The results show that all hypotheses are supported.

As the results show that beauty short video engagement positively correlated with dietary restraint among young women, supporting hypothesis 1. This may be because of the immediacy and accessibility of short videos, which allow young women to easily pick up their phones and watch these videos for information. In particular, frequent viewing of body-related short videos can trap them in an “algorithmic cage,” triggering the platforms to repeatedly recommend body-related content. However, the images of beautiful female anchors, internet celebrities, models, and stars on short video platforms tend to be perfect (Yu & Zhang, 2025). Young women who repeatedly immerse themselves in such virtual scenarios may desire to achieve the ideal body shapes presented by these figures, and they will attempt to achieve ideal bodies by reducing their intake of high-calorie foods or by eating less (Mask & Blanchard, 2011; Huang & Zhao, 2023). Another possible explanation is that young women who are frequently exposed to beauty-focused short videos often perceive relatively strong appearance pressure. Under the influence of such pressure, they will adopt strategies including restrictive eating to change their body image (Thompson et al., 1999).

The beauty ideals internalization played a mediating role in the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women (hypothesis 2). This is the main mediating path. We infer that young women are frequently exposed to short videos that showcase idealized female body shapes, beautiful appearances, and feminine allure, internalizing the standards of “S-shaped figure,” “slender arms,” “thin legs,” and “slim face”. They come to believe that beautiful women should meet the beauty standards presented by influencers, internet celebrities, models, and stars in these videos (Duan et al., 2022; Jung et al., 2022). Especially, the “algorithmic cage” of short videos may lead users to passively and continuously receive idealized body content. This involuntary, high-intensity exposure may trigger automatic, unconscious internalization processes more readily than actively seeking out magazines or browsing social media feeds. Moreover, young women who have internalized the ideal beauty standards presented in short videos may also learn from these videos some of the methods advocated by the female characters to achieve an ideal appearance (Bandura et al., 1961). For instance, they might adopt the unhealthy diet plans promoted by the anchors in these videos (Stice & Van Ryzin, 2019; Morton et al., 2020; Wilson et al., 2022).

Self-objectification mediated the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women (hypothesis 3). One possible explanation is that engagement with beauty short videos is essentially a form of sexual objectification (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Women who are frequently exposed to the sexual objectification content in these short videos often view themselves from an objectifying perspective (Yu & Zhang, 2025; Zhang, 2026). That is, after experiencing sexual objectification, young women tend to compare their own body image with the idealized body image portrayed in short videos (Sun, 2016). When the comparison shows that their own body image is inferior, they often experience body dissatisfaction (Festinger, 1954). To improve their body image, they are very likely to choose restrictive eating (Slevec & Tiggemann, 2011). In addition, when young women view their own body image from an objectifying perspective, they will repeatedly monitor their body image, which often also triggers their appearance anxiety (Guo et al., 2021; Yu & Zhang, 2025). To relieve such appearance anxiety, they will adopt restrictive eating as a coping strategy.

The results also indicated that the beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification played a serial mediation in the relationship between beauty short video engagement and dietary restraint among young women (hypothesis 4). This may be because young women are frequently exposed to short videos that showcase perfect bodies, internalizing the standards of ideal beauty presented in these videos (Vandenbosch & Eggermont, 2012). They also monitor their appearance more closely and compare themselves to the perfect bodies shown in the videos (Sun, 2016; Feltman & Szymanski, 2018). When the comparison reveals that there is a gap between them and these perfect bodies, young women may resort to controlling their diet in order to improve their body shape (Niu et al., 2020).

Implications for Research and Practice

This study makes several important theoretical contributions. Firstly, this study focuses specifically on beauty short video engagement rather than general social media use. Previous studies have primarily examined traditional media (television and magazines) or image-based social media platforms (Instagram and Pinterest) (Tiggemann, 2003; Slevec & Tiggemann, 2011; Thompson et al., 2023). However, beauty short videos represent a more immersive and interactive media context characterized by algorithmic recommendation and repeated exposure (Karsay et al., 2018; Yu & Zhang, 2025). Unlike static image exposure, short videos continuously reinforce appearance norms through dynamic visual presentation and platform-driven content repetition, which may intensify sociocultural pressure regarding thinness and attractiveness (Mask & Blanchard, 2011; Huang et al., 2020). Therefore, this study demonstrates that beauty short video engagement is not merely another form of media exposure, but a distinct psychosocial process that may exert a stronger influence on dietary restraint among young women. Secondly, this study integrates the Tripartite Influence Theory and the Objectification Theory to construct and validate a serial mediation mechanism linking beauty short video engagement to dietary restraint through beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification (Thompson et al., 1999; Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Prior studies have often examined these mediators separately, whereas the present study empirically confirms the sequential pathway from internalizing ideal beauty standards to increased self-objectification and subsequently to dietary restraint, thereby extending the applicability and explanatory scope of the Tripartite Influence Theory and the Objectification Theory within the media environment (Tiggemann, 2003; Slevec & Tiggemann, 2011; Guo et al., 2021).

The study also provides practical interventions and strategies for the prevention of dietary restraint, focusing on the roles of short video engagement, beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification. Firstly, young women should be encouraged to develop critical media literacy when engaging with beauty short videos. They should recognize that the idealized body images presented by female anchors, influencers, and celebrities are often selectively curated, filtered, and commercially driven rather than realistic representations of everyday appearance. By strengthening critical awareness of algorithmic beauty standards, young women may become less likely to internalize unrealistic appearance ideals and engage in unhealthy dietary restraint (Rodgers et al., 2024). Secondly, psychological interventions should specifically target beauty ideals internalization and self-objectification. Cognitive-behavioral Therapy can help individuals challenge irrational beliefs such as “thinness equals attractiveness” or “appearance determines self-worth” (Mares et al., 2025). Meanwhile, mindfulness-based interventions may reduce excessive body surveillance by encouraging individuals to shift attention from external appearance evaluation to self-acceptance, thereby reducing the long-term risk of eating disorders (Chu et al., 2025). Lastly, platform governance matters because the algorithmic cage may trap users in pursuit of ideal appearance and worsen psychological vulnerability. So short-video platforms should take greater social responsibility to reduce the over-promotion of idealized body images, optimize their algorithms to avoid excessive appearance-focused recommendations, and promote more diverse and inclusive body representations.

Limitations and Future Research

While the study’s hypotheses were confirmed, the limitations remain. Firstly, the study employs a cross-sectional design. Although it posits a clear causal pathway (short video engagement → internalization/objectification → dietary restraint) based on theory, it cannot rule out reverse causality or the influence of third variables. Future research can employ longitudinal designs or experimental methods (e.g., exposure to different types of short videos) to more rigorously test the causal order. Secondly, the educational skew of the sample suggests that future research should include more diverse samples (e.g., varying educational backgrounds, occupational statuses) to test the stability of the model. Thirdly, after modifying the items of the Beauty Short Video Engagement Scale, we don’t consult the relevant experts to assess the items. Future research can invite experts in the relevant fields to further evaluate the rationality of the items and improve the Beauty Short Video Engagement Scale. Fourthly, the study only used cognitive restraint as an indicator of dietary restraint and suggests that future research could incorporate more objective behavioral measures (e.g., food diaries, observed food intake) for a more comprehensive assessment. Fifthly, we did not collect data related to body satisfaction and social media usage, so we were unable to conduct a criterion validity test. Future research can further collect relevant data to test the criterion validity of the Beauty Short Video Engagement Scale.

Acknowledgement: Not applicable.

Funding Statement: The authors received no specific funding for this study.

Author Contributions: The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: Conceptualization, methodology, software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, writing—original draft preparation, writing—review and editing, visualization, supervision, project administration, Gen Zhang; Software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, writing—original draft preparation, writing—review and editing, visualization, supervision, project administration, Ziyi Zhu. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Availability of Data and Materials: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Corresponding Author, Ziyi Zhu, upon reasonable request.

Ethics Approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study uses anonymized data, does not cause harm to participants, and does not involve sensitive personal information or commercial interests. According to Article 32 of the Ethical Review Measures for Life Sciences and Medicine Research Involving Human Subjects issued by the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, this study does not require ethical approval. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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