Do you think mother's who openly diet, count calories, and work out obsessively cause eating disorders in their children (especially daughter)?

[Zendrya]

I think mothers (or fathers but mostly mothers) who are constantly talking about dieting, openly count their calories, and are constantly talking about how they ate too much and need to work out, are a huge factor in eating disorders in our youth. My mother is like this (luckily she didn't start this until the last few years so it hasn't affected me as bad) but my sister is only 9 and am afraid she will feel like she constantly needs to lose weight. So ya... thoughts?

[KayPTD]

I think that it can be helpful to show proper eating habits to your children, but at the same time if you overdue it, you can get negative resuls. Some people are more strong and confident than others. My mother always complains about how much I eat, telling me that if I keep eating the way I do that I'll get fat (I'm only 5'4" 107 lbs). But I feel that it's more of her own insecurity than her trying to help. It doesn't make me feel bad, but it gets on my nerves. A looot. And prevents me from enjoying my meal, so sometimes I just wait until she leaves the room or go to my room to eat. Yet, I never felt the need to change myself. Other people opinions never bothered me because I always had a lot of confidence in myself. So I see it as constructive criticism rather than judgement. Meanwhile, my older sister has had (still has) an eating disorder for over 8 years she's 3 years my senior. If you want to keep your 9 year old sister on a good path (my sister began around this age) just build her confidence and character. Let her that she is beautiful and you love her regardless. If someone tries to degrade her about her size (my mom does a lot of that) defend her respectfully, then talk to her privately. Spend time with her, let her know that the "women" in the magazine doesn't even look like the women in the magazine. You can create activities with her that keep her happy with who she is and what she has like fashion shows in her room that teach her to embrace her body. That helped me a lot growing up. I hope this helps, thank you for reading my comment!!

[xobrowneyedbeauty]

i think it depends. i think there's nothing wrong with wanting to exercise and count calories and diet unless it is to an extent that is unhealthy. and if she freaks out over eating say 1450 calories instead of 1400 that's bad. but if it's like she shoots for 1400 and eats like 1800 then i wouldn't blame her for getting annoyed with herself. if your mom is already skinny though it might not be that good. it could encourage your sister to be healthy and aware, but it could also make her extremely paranoid about eating and weight gain. it could go either way.

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Well, people let diets go to their head just like me.. i did it and to this day

i am paying dear with many health problems.. My blood work just came

back abnormal.. so God only knows if i am dealing with something serious,

so i beg all young people... please for the Love of Jesus be careful what you do

don't follow your parents foot steps, bad eating habits instead make a path

for your self in life... get spiritual help if you need too

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Thank You for MHO:)
I hope things are going good for you ;)

[Zendrya]

No problem. :) Thanks you too

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

:D :)

[WeaponZero]

In many cases the parents NEED to take these measures for their own health (although in moderation, not "obsessively" as you put it) due to their own state of poor health. So what is to be done then?

That being said, these parents could just as easily say to kids "you don't need to do this because you are beautiful as you are" and find ways of reinforcing that.

[Anonymous]

No, to me it just sounds like it encourages their children to be healthy. Well, maybe talking about it not so much, but leading a good, healthy example seems good to me. I didn't get overweight until after my dad died. When he was alive (I was little) he only allowed me two little pieces of candy after dinner and I was happy. Then my mom and I spent a bunch of time at grandpa's. Oreo City USA!

It seems like people can't hit a happy medium though. Obesity is also a big problem with teens (no pun intended).

[Zendrya]

I agree that eating healthy and be active is a great thing but couldn't a parent say they are eating healthy other than dieting or keep the calorie counting to yourself. Maybe instead of saying you need to work out saying you like to work out? But yes I agree to an extent.

[Opinion Owner]

Okay, know I see what you are saying. Yeah, it is more important to show how to live a healthy lifestyle than to be "skinny."

My mom tells me to count calories, but I want to lose weight so that is good advice lol.

[aamy811]

Yes but that's not how I became obsessed. I just looked at my friends around me and saw how thin my friends are and wanted to be like them. I saw models and actresses and wanted to look like them. I became obsessive because I was surrounded by something I wasn't. I'm still very strict now, but not as much as I used to be

[Kalinda]

No eating disorders are a form of old. If people developed eating disorders jist from seeing other people diet then everyone in the wet would be anorexic bile if or a compulsive over eater. Diet shit is EVERYWHERE. There is also no correlation between dieting moms or dads and kids with eating disorders. There is a correlation between parents with anxiety disorders ocd schizophrenia on the autism pipe trump the kid themselves going through premature birth and eating disorders.

[Zendrya]

I didn't mean that they directly cause eating disorders but it factors into it.

[Kalinda]

That's. Bc you don't understand what a disorder is. And you don't care about statistics.

[Zendrya]

I know what a disorder is... why are you being so hostile? And when did I say I didn't care about statistics?

[MishaMikado]

I'm not sure. My mom or dad never did that at all but my sister ended up going through it all when she was 13 or so, and since then people have been telling me I have problems too when I explain stuff to them. So I don't know if it's just family in general or just any role model?

[Anonymous]

Eating disorders are turning out to look like a kind of anxiety disorder, caused at least partially by genetics. So rather than "causing" it per se, they may be passing it down.

[kheserthorpe]

They can. Just like people who eat like garbage tend to pass THAT along to their kids.

[Klaatu51]

yes because kids tend to take parens' example most of the times

[Dakota_The_Rota]

If it hasn't affected a teenage girl, it's not going to affect a 9 year old girl.

[Zendrya]

I say it hasn't affected me because she didn't start this until I knew wrong from right. I had self-esteem issues way way before this.

[Dakota_The_Rota]

My point stands, if a, let's say your mother started to diet and count calories when you were 14, 14 year girl does not get affected by it why would a 9 year old girl be affected by it? And how do you know you knew what was wrong and right, and not your sister? And to get more into depth with the question, there is no correlation between a mother trying to stay healthy and her daughter having an eating disorder. That is crazy. I knew plenty of girls when I went to high school, who at least seemed to have a eating disorder, who had obese mothers.

[Prof_Don]

It's very possible... especially for those parents who are highly obsessive about this.

[Anonymous]

No. That was easy.