I have had several friends in high school and in college who suffer from poor body image and-or eating disorders. It seems to me that the biggest determining factor in whether or not a young woman develops an eating disorder is her mother's behavior towards food and weight. Those mothers who made incessant comments about dieting, exercising, etc, invariably raised daughters who have extremely low self-esteem, poor body image, and are most susceptible to eating disorders. One mother even sent her daughter a string of pig lights to hang up in her dorm room to remind her not to eat. Not surprisingly, the daughter is now a compulsive exerciser, alternately deprives herself of and binges on food, and has worn several different clothes sizes since we met 4 years ago.
Parents play a critical role in shaping their children's attitudes towards their bodies.
Mothers' self-deprecating behavior is often emulated by their daughters. Then, too, fathers should be careful not to comment negatively on the mother's weight or body shape. Parents also can play a role in helping their children to evaluate all of the media hype that surrounds us. The media may offer us certain images and ideals, but we don't have to buy into them. I compulsively overeat through out the day.