• The aims of this seven-year longitudinal study of 228 girls (9 and 13 year olds) were 1) to examine the predictive value of eating attitudes, a wish to be thinner, dieting, perfectionism, self-esteem and  Body Mass Index; 2) to examine the girls’ parents’ eating attitudes and perfectionism in relation to the development of disturbed eating attitudes, seven years later; and 3) to examine whether normal body weight, healthy eating attitudes and low perfectionism together with high self-esteem might operate as protective factors for the later development of disturbed eating attitudes. The pre-adolescent girls (9-year olds) “wish to be thinner” and fathers’ EAT scores contributed most to the prediction of disturbed eating attitudes seven years later. Corresponding analysis for the adolescent girls (13-year olds) showed that a “wish to be thinner” and mothers’ rating on perfectionism contributed most to the prediction of disturbed eating attitudes seven years later. Protective factors were low BMI and more healthy eating attitudes - especially moderated by high self-esteem, and a low-to-medium degree of perfectionism. High self-esteem appeared to be a protective factor when the girls had a high degree of perfectionism. These results suggest that it is important to focus on healthy eating attitudes at home to prevent overweight in early childhood, enhance self-esteem and to take a critical stand toward the thinness ideal in our society.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Risk and protective factors

family influences

eating attitudes

disturbed eating

Youth research

Ungdomsforskning

SOCIAL SCIENCES

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP

Vårdvetenskap med samhällsvetenskaplig inriktning

Caring Sciences in Social Sciences

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)