When a girl feels so desperate and guilty that she has not lived up to her father's standards, oftentimes she will attempt to change her body, no matter the cost to her health. Remember here that the girl already has psychological damage to even get to this point of severity, and her health is probably the least of her concerns as long as she can gain approval. They feel that they have failed in relations with their father and that they should make themselves pay to make things right by results of what they see as a more attractive body by way of their own pain. Most fathers do not see these symptoms in their daughters, and when they do realize that there is a problem, they do not feel that they had anything to do with Its onset. Truthfully, most fathers of girls with eating disorders care deeply for their daughter's health and would do anything to help them, but they simply do not know how.
Men can help in the battle against eating disorders.
One Important way is their attitude towards their daughter. Many men feel girls only need their mothers, but the time during adolescence is one of the most crucial times for male approval, and the most Important male approval in a young girl's life comes from her father. Therefore, fathers need to find positive ways to relate to their daughters. The following are some suggestions for the father concerned about contributing to the daughter's health. Be sure that you are not pressuring her to change her body.