Inheriting Eating Disorders
How parents can influence children to develop an eating disorder
Parents may unintentionally influence their children to take on disordered eating or exercise habits. Young and vulnerable children look up to their parents as their role models, so when they see their parents going on a restrictive diet or obsessing over-exercising and maintaining a constant negative light around food, their children will soon follow.
The discussion of weight in front of children can be detrimental to their mental health if parents are constantly discussing new ways to restrict their caloric intake, or trying out a new trendy diet. Even without realizing it, parents may be harming their children with reminders of how many calories are in a certain food, or even small mannerisms such as “I ate too much, now I need to burn it off”, or labeling food as “good” versus “bad”.
Parents weighing children and shaming them for gaining or losing weight is dangerous for their mental and physical growth. It is completely normal for children to gain weight, especially during the onset of puberty (Discovery Center 2021). Additionally, making comments about how much or how little a child has eaten, or shaming them for eating too much “junk” may lead to a child feeling guilty for eating and developing an unhealthy perception of food.
How parents can prevent passing down their eating disorder
Firstly, it is crucial that a parent seeks help and treatment for their eating disorder as soon as possible. In order to keep their child healthy and not susceptible to disordered eating, they should follow the advice of a professional and demonstrate a healthy relationship with food. Additionally, it is important that parents are kind to themselves and their perception of their own bodies in order to reciprocate those behaviors in their children. Habits such as body checking, overly restricting food intake, and commenting about how much or how little one ate can be dangerous for vulnerable children susceptible to eating disorders.
How to encourage your children to develop a healthy relationship around food and exercise
Instead, parents should strive to encourage and educate their children on how to maintain a healthy relationship with food and exercise. For example, teaching children about the benefits of eating nutritious foods while still balancing their lifestyle with more “fun” foods to keep their children engaged and leading by example is a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle. Also, enrolling children in exciting sports that keep them physically active and engaged socially will teach them to center their lives around healthy habits. Instead of being overly strict with what children should eat, or restricting children from foods that they love in moderation, a balanced lifestyle should be encouraged.
You are not alone
If you feel that you, or a loved one, are struggling with an eating disorder, please consult a professional or visit the sites below. Asking for help is not easy, but you are not alone, making that first will help you so much in the long run. Happiness and health are worth much more than societal standards.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/eating-disorder-treatment-and-recovery.htm
Works Cited
Contributor, Discovery. “Did My Mom Cause My Eating Disorder? Six Ways Parents Unintentionally Teach Disordered Eating to Their Children.” Center for Discovery, Mar. 2021, centerfordiscovery.com/blog/mom-cause-eating-disorder-six-ways-parents-unintentionally-teach-disordered-eating-children.
