Eating Disorders

The role of the family in eating disorders is complex and unclear. There is increasing evidence that genetic factors play a major part (Brownell and Fairburn 2001). The emphasis within a family upon the value of thinness exerts strong temptations upon young females to maintain a low body weight. The tendency to overemphasize the importance of appearance at the cost of other features such as kindness, intelligence, and creativity enhances the risk. Furthermore, what family members do is as important as what they say. Thus, mothers who diet or who have eating disorders are more likely to have children who ultimately develop eating disorders.

Families can also set the stage for how children relate to food, regardless of issues related to weight. For example, parents may use food to reward, punish, placate, or distract. Children then learn that food is more than a substance of nourishment. It can also be a source of comfort or a source of distress. Some parents ignore their children's cues and feed them according to parental needs, schedules, or beliefs about how much the child should eat. This does not allow the individual to develop an awareness of appetite, hunger, or fullness, thus setting the tone for the development of eating disorders.

Pre-teenage girls often have a very close relationship with their fathers. As they progress into puberty, fathers may have difficulty in coping with their daughters' emerging sexuality, and consequently reduce their closeness. Alternatively, they may try to maintain the same level of contact as previously. Either of these can be a source of distress for the teenage girl, who may subconsciously start trying to return to an earlier stage of development by dieting (Maine 1991).

Regardless of whether or not a family may have contributed in some inadvertent way to the development of an eating disorder, the way in which they manage the problem can be extremely influential. A positive approach can quickly resolve the problem whilst confused, inconsistent, or negative approaches can exacerbate it. Arguments between parents about how best to proceed when their child or teenage daughter develops an eating disorder can exacerbate the problem. The teenager becomes caught up in parental conflict, feels worse, and delves deeper into the eating disorder. Sometimes the individual with the eating disorder can serve as a peacemaker, best friend, or confidante to one or both parents. Although the eating disorder symptoms may emerge for a number of different reasons, it may ultimately serve the purpose of helping family stability. As the individual becomes increasingly ill, parents often pay attention to the individual in a way that is reassuring and comforting. A couple in conflict may work together to try to help their child, especially when they see how serious are the side effects of the illness. This can exacerbate the illness by giving the subconscious message that illness equates with parental harmony.