Negative Comments From Family Affect Weight Concerns in Women at High Risk for Eating Disorders

Beware of offering criticisms about your daughter's weight, shape, or eating, say experts who studied the impact of such negative comments on social adjustment, social support, self-esteem, and perceived childhood abuse and neglect. They found that negative comments can have long-lasting effects on a young woman's emotional health and self-esteem.

Researchers surveyed 455 college women who participated in an eating disorder prevention program about their early childhood experiences with eating and weight. The participants reported whether any parents or siblings made negative comments on their weight, shape, or how much they ate during childhood. They also answered questions about whether they'd experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse during childhood, as well as questions about self-esteem.

Negative comments about weight and eating during childhood were common: 82% of the women reported receiving some sort of negative comment, with more than 50% saying their mothers criticized them and more than 40% saying their fathers did.

Even when family members made only a few negative comments, their criticism had an impact. In generally supportive families, negative comments about weight or shape were especially emotionally damaging because they stood out in families where parents otherwise did not tend to criticize.

What This Means to You. Most of the women in this study reported being teased or criticized for their weight, shape, or eating in childhood or adolescence by parents or family members. Previous studies have shown that negative comments may contribute to concerns about weight and body size, which may put girls at risk for eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia.

To foster a healthy body image in your daughter, try these tips from the study authors:

• Avoid teasing in your family.
• Encourage your child to exercise and eat nutritious foods instead of dieting.
• Be a good role model by exercising regularly, preparing and eating healthy meals, and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Don't complain about your own body.
• Don't make critical comments about other people's weight or shape.

If you have concerns about your child's weight, talk to your doctor.

Source: C. Barr Taylor, MD; Susan Bryson, MS; Angela A. Celio Doyle, PhD; Kristine H. Luce, PhD; Darby Cunning, MA; Liana B. Abascal, MS; Roxanne Rockwell, BA; Alison E. Field, ScD; Ruth Striegel-Moore, PhD; Andrew J. Winzelberg, PhD; Denise E. Wilfley, PhD; Pediatrics, August 2006.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: October 2006

Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

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