Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, compulsive eating and other clinical illnesses are becoming more prevalent among college-aged young adults. Negative eating behaviors such as anorexia can be deadly. The death rate for anorexia is 12 times higher than the other causes of death for young women. Now research reports that perfectionist fathers can negatively reinforce eating disorder tendencies of their college-age children.
The study, published in Health Communication, examined the association between self-perfectionism, perfectionist parents, perceptions of personal control, and eating disorders in college-age young adults. Researchers at Penn State University conducted surveys of 424 college students.
The researchers found that 23 percent of the participants had eating disorders. Findings also revealed that fathers are more likely than mothers to create pressures that can lead college-age children to eating disorders. The study suggests that personal perfectionism reinforced by parental and peer pressures and media portrayals of ideal body images may lead to a perceived loss of personal control. Focusing on eating then becomes a way for young people to have a sense of personal control.
"These findings suggest that father-child communicative interaction that emphasizes conformity to high paternal standards may increase offspring's risk of developing maladaptive eating behaviors," the study authors write. The study authors suggest that the treatment for eating disorders should extend to the patient's communication with parents.
REFERENCES:
1. Miller-Day M and Marks JD. Perceptions of parental communication orientation, perfectionism, and disordered eating behaviors of sons and daughters. Health Commun 2006;19(2):153-63.
2. Fong V. "Perfectionist fathers can reinforce tendencies." EurekaAlert!, May 1, 2006: http://www.eurekalera.org/pub_releases/2006-05/ps-pfc050106.php
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on September 20, 2006 02:07 PM
