{"id":36633,"date":"2024-08-04T05:53:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T05:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=36633"},"modified":"2024-08-08T17:39:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T17:39:30","slug":"mothers-dieting-habits-and-self-talk-have-profound-impact-on-daughters-%e2%88%92-2-psychologists-explain-how-to-cultivate-healthy-behaviors-and-body-image","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/mothers-dieting-habits-and-self-talk-have-profound-impact-on-daughters-%e2%88%92-2-psychologists-explain-how-to-cultivate-healthy-behaviors-and-body-image\/","title":{"rendered":"Mothers\u2019 dieting habits and self-talk have profound impact on daughters \u2212 2 psychologists explain how to cultivate healthy behaviors and body\u00a0image"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Janet J. Boseovski<\/a>, University of North Carolina \u2013 Greensboro<\/a><\/em> and Ashleigh Gallagher<\/a>, University of North Carolina \u2013 Greensboro<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight loss is one of the most common health and appearance-related goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women and teen girls<\/a> are especially likely to pursue dieting<\/a> to achieve weight loss goals even though a great deal of research shows that dieting doesn\u2019t work over the long term<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are a developmental psychologist<\/a> and a social psychologist<\/a> who together wrote a forthcoming book, \u201cBeyond Body Positive: A Mother\u2019s Evidence-Based Guide for Helping Girls Build a Healthy Body Image.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book, we address topics such as the effects of maternal dieting behaviors on daughters\u2019 health and well-being. We provide information on how to build a foundation for healthy body image beginning in girlhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culturally defined body ideals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Given the strong influence of social media and other cultural influences on body ideals, it\u2019s understandable that so many people pursue diets aimed at weight loss. TikTok<\/a>, YouTube, Instagram and celebrity websites feature slim influencers and \u201chow-tos\u201d for achieving those same results in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, women and teens are engaging in rigid and extreme forms of exercise such as 54D, a program to achieve body transformation in 54 days<\/a>, or the 75 Hard Challenge<\/a>, which is to follow five strict rules for 75 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For teens, these pursuits are likely fueled by trendy body preoccupations such as the desire for \u201clegging legs<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women and teens have also been been inundated with recent messaging around quick-fix weight loss drugs<\/a>, which come with a lot of caveats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dieting and weight loss goals are highly individual, and when people are intensely self-focused, it is possible to lose sight of the bigger picture<\/a>. Although women might wonder what the harm is in trying the latest diet, science shows that dieting behavior doesn\u2019t just affect the dieter. In particular, for women who are mothers or who have other girls in their lives, these behaviors affect girls\u2019 emerging body image and their health and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The profound effect of maternal role models<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that mothers and maternal figures have a profound influence on their daughters\u2019 body image<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity to influence girls\u2019 body image comes far earlier than adolescence. In fact, research shows that these influences on body image begin very early in life<\/a> \u2013 during the preschool years<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mothers may feel that they are being discreet about their dieting behavior, but little girls are watching and listening, and they are far more observant of us than many might think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, one study revealed that compared with daughters of nondieting women, 5-year-old girls whose mothers dieted were aware of the connection between dieting and thinness<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mothers\u2019 eating behavior does not just affect girls\u2019 ideas about dieting, but also their daughters\u2019 eating behavior. The amount of food that mothers eat predicts how much their daughters will eat<\/a>. In addition, daughters whose mothers are dieters are more likely to become dieters themselves<\/a> and are also more likely to have a negative body image<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative body image is not a trivial matter<\/a>. It affects girls\u2019 and women\u2019s mental and physical well-being in a host of ways<\/a> and can predict the emergence of eating disorders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Food<\/a>
It\u2019s important to avoid labeling foods as good or bad, instead focusing on a balanced diet. Rudzhan Nagiev\/iStock via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Avoiding \u2018fat talk\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What can moms do, then, to serve their daughters\u2019 and their own health?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can focus on small steps. And although it is best to begin these efforts early in life \u2013 in girlhood \u2013 it is never too late to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, mothers can consider how they think about and talk about themselves around their daughters. Engaging in \u201cfat talk\u201d may inadvertently send their daughters the message that larger bodies are bad, contributing to weight bias<\/a> and negative self-image. Mothers\u2019 fat talk also predicts later body dissatisfaction in daughters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And negative self-talk isn\u2019t good for mothers, either; it is associated with lower motivation and unhealthful eating<\/a>. Mothers can instead practice and model self-compassion, which involves treating oneself the way a loving friend might treat you<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In discussions about food and eating behavior, it is important to avoid moralizing certain kinds of food by labeling them as \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad,\u201d as girls may extend these labels to their personal worth. For example, a young girl may feel that she is being \u201cbad\u201d if she eats dessert, if that is what she has learned from observing the women around her. In contrast, she may feel that she has to eat a salad to be \u201cgood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moms and other female role models can make sure that the dinner plate sends a healthy message to their daughters by showing instead that all foods can fit into a balanced diet when the time is right. Intuitive eating, which emphasizes paying attention to hunger and satiety and allows flexibility in eating behavior, is associated with better physical and mental health in adolescence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way that women and especially moms can buffer girls\u2019 body image is by helping their daughters to develop media literacy<\/a> and to think critically about the nature and purpose of media. For example, moms can discuss the misrepresentation and distortion of bodies, such as the use of filters to enhance physical appearance, on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three<\/a>
Social media filters can lead to distorted body ideals. Flashpop\/DigitalVision via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on healthful behaviors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One way to begin to focus on health behaviors rather than dieting behaviors is to develop respect for the body and to consider body neutrality<\/a>. In other words, prize body function rather than appearance and spend less time thinking about your body\u2019s appearance. Accept that there are times when you may not feel great about your body, and that this is OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To feel and look their best, mothers can aim to stick to a healthy sleep schedule<\/a>, manage their stress levels, eat a varied diet<\/a> that includes all of the foods that they enjoy, and move and exercise their bodies regularly<\/a> as lifelong practices, rather than engaging in quick-fix trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although many of these tips sound familiar, and perhaps even simple, they become effective when we recognize their importance and begin acting on them. Mothers can work toward modeling these behaviors and tailor each of them to their daughter\u2019s developmental level. It\u2019s never too early to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Promoting healthy body image<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Science shows that several personal characteristics are associated with body image concerns among women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, research shows that women who are higher in neuroticism<\/a> and perfectionism<\/a>, lower in self-compassion<\/a> or lower in self-efficacy<\/a> are all more likely to struggle with negative body image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personality is frequently defined as a person\u2019s characteristic pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But if they wish, mothers can change personality characteristics<\/a> that they feel aren\u2019t serving them well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, perfectionist tendencies \u2013 such as setting unrealistic, inflexible goals \u2013 can be examined, challenged and replaced with more rational thoughts and behaviors. A woman who believes she must work out every day can practice being more flexible in her thinking. One who thinks of dessert as \u201ccheating\u201d can practice resisting moral judgments about food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing habitual ways of thinking, feeling and behaving certainly takes effort and time, but it is far more likely than diet trends to bring about sustainable, long-term change. And taking the first steps to modify even a few of these habits can positively affect daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of all the noise from media and other cultural influences, mothers can feel empowered knowing that they have a significant influence on their daughters\u2019 feelings about, and treatment of, their bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, mothers\u2019 modeling of healthier attitudes and behaviors is a sound investment \u2013 for both their own body image and that of the girls they love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janet J. Boseovski<\/a>, Professor of Psychology, University of North Carolina \u2013 Greensboro<\/a><\/em> and Ashleigh Gallagher<\/a>, Senior Lecturer, University of North Carolina \u2013 Greensboro<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Janet J. Boseovski, University of North Carolina \u2013 Greensboro and Ashleigh Gallagher, University of North Carolina \u2013 Greensboro Weight loss is one of the most common health and appearance-related goals. Women and teen girls are especially likely to pursue dieting to achieve weight loss goals even though a great deal of research shows that dieting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":36634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[42],"tags":[936,3799,1311,9226,3563,702,15282,13585,15281,3134,3797,15145,14648,185],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36633"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36633"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36636,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36633\/revisions\/36636"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}