Researchers say young girls in that country are increasingly worried about their weight.
The year TV was widely introduced in Fiji in 1995, only 3 percent of girls reported they vomited to control their weight, according to the study by Harvard researcher Anne Becker. Though Becker cautioned that the study does not establish a definitive link between television and eating disorders, she said the increases were dramatic in a culture that traditionally has focused on the importance of eating well and looking robust. Fiji has only one TV channel, which shows mostly American, Australian and British programs. Girls 15 to 19 Interviewed For the study, a total of 129 girls ages 15 to 19 were interviewed, said Becker, head of research at the Harvard Eating Disorders Center and assistant professor of medical anthropology at Harvard Medical School. Researchers surveyed 64 girls in 1995 and 65 in 1998 and did not track individuals over the three-year period.