Clubs Not Good For Young Women

Women seeking to join the clubs are more likely to have a negative body image than non-sorority women, says the surveys.

The undergraduate women who join the clubs are more likely to judge their own bodies from an outsider's perspectives. They tend to display higher levels of emaciated attitudes and behaviors, than the other category. Over the time, those women may also show higher levels of body shame.

The sororities are powerful at influencing the norms and ideals of their members. The women who join the clubs are likely to have body image disturbances and eating disorders later.

These sisterhoods provide college women with opportunities for personal growth and enrichment. But the affiliations have been criticized for their potential to lead the members to focus excessively and unhealthily on their appearance.

This finding has been published online in Springer's journal Sex Roles.