Mothers who encourage dieting to lose weight may contribute to their child's developing an eating disorder, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.
- Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer and her colleagues studied 365 teenage girls, many of whom were overweight.
- Forty-five percent told the researchers that their mothers encouraged dieting to lose weight.
- This group was two times more likely to binge eat, and five times more likely to engage in extreme weight control measures such as taking diet pills or laxatives, or vomiting after eating.
- Sixty-six percent of the mothers were on diets or talked about their weights, and 40% of the fathers were on diets.
- Children of these groups were more likely to use unhealthy weight control measures.
- Almost 60% of the girls said their family members teased them about their weights, and this group tended to be overweight and dissatisfied with their bodies.
"While parents who are concerned about their children's weight may encourage dieting with the best intentions, they need to know that talking about weight loss may have harmful consequences for their children's health," said Dr. Neumark-Sztainer. "I encourage parents to look for changes that can be made in the home environment to support healthier eating and physical activity among youth."
The study appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Labels: diet, parents, daughters, mothers
Posted By: Jane St. Clair