nt was 37 inches for an average woman, while the average mannequin hip measured only 31 inches(Lake, Sweeney, & Wagner, 1999). Between the cultural norm and biological reality, suppliers of diet advertisements and products have increased: the average amount of money spent annually on diets and related services in 1990 was 33 billion. The clientele are about 85 percent women, most of whom regain the weight lost within two years (Lennon, Lillethun, & Buckland, 1999).A persons perception of body image may also be influenced by locus of control. Females with an external locus of control tend to overestimate their body sizes to a greater degree than those who have an internal locus of control(Dejong & Kleck, 1986). A relationship also exists between the attitudinal component of body image and locus of control. For instance, women exhibiting external locus of control experience greater dissatisfaction with the appearance of their bodies than women with internal locus of control. This finding indicates that women possessing an external locus of control feel powerless to alter the appearance of their bodies. Thus, they experience a distorted perception of their body and generally develop negative feelings. Whereas, woman with an internal locus of control generally believe that the appearance of their bodies is within their control. These feelings of control result in a more positive view of their body (Garner, Garfinkel, & Thompson, 1980).In 1990 the diet industry was hit by several lawsuits. Many people experienced serious side effects such as gall bladder disease from certain diets. Hence, the rush of law suits against the diet companies. These lawsuits led to Congressional hearings on the safety and efficiency of weight-loss programs. However, despite these difficulties the diet industry is growing rapidly (Lavine, Sweeney, & Wagner, 1999). Prolonged semistarvation produces many symptoms including- irritability, fatigue, and ob...
