Body-image preoccupation and disordered-eating: The power of mothers and friends

The thin-ideal depicted in Western culture contributes to both mental and physical health issues, especially in females. The pressure of the thin-ideal is associated with body-image preoccupation, including self-surveillance (the process of appearance evaluation) and body shame (feelings of shame when not conforming to the thin-ideal). Both self-surveillance and body shame are predictive of disordered-eating behaviors. Approximately 10% of female undergraduates suffer from a clinical or sub-clinical eating disorder. Family members and peers can play an integral role in perpetuating the thin-ideal.

In this study, we explored the mental health influences exerted on body-image preoccupation (self-surveillance and body shame) and disordered-eating behaviors (fasting, purging, laxative/diuretics and compensatory exercise) when family members and friends communicate the thin-ideal. Four-hundred fourteen, predominately Caucasian, undergraduate females at a mid-Atlantic university completed measurements of family and peer attitudes toward weight and physical appearance, internalization of the thin-ideal, self-surveillance and body shame, and disordered-eating behaviors. Path analysis indicated that mothers and friends, especially, had a significant influence on body-image preoccupation via the internalization of the thin-ideal. Mothers and friends also had a significant indirect effect on certain disordered-eating behaviors. Interestingly, fathers and siblings did not exhibit the same magnitude of effects.

Addressing this public health concern surrounding body-image preoccupation and disordered-eating behaviors requires understanding how familial and peer pressures shape young women's mental health. Education and awareness encouraging positive body image attitudes should specifically target family and friends. Further research should explore age and ethnic differences and investigate when familial and peer influence becomes influential.