2. Family protective factors:
Tips for parents
Having a caring, close relationship with at least one parent (Crago et al, 2001) acts as a protective factor.
- A positive childhood, with low levels of emotional/physical abuse or neglect experiences is related to fewer eating disorders. (Bardone-Cone et al, 2008).
- Parents can dialog with their children and teens about:
- appearance-based teasing
-bullying by peers
-body image concerns and changes in puberty
Parents as positive role models:
- In order to be positive role models and promote health parents need basic information about:
-nutrition
-puberty and child development
-media literacy
-balanced exercise and healthy activity levels
An excellent resource for parents is Diane Neumark-Sztainer's (2005) book, "I'm, Like, So Fat!" - Parents can be good role models for balanced eating and exercise.
- Parents can de-emphasize the importance of weight and size and not make comments about their children's weight and shape.
- Parents can promote self-esteem based on factors other than appearance.
- Parents can create a climate at home in which teasing about weight and shape is disallowed.
- Parents can discourage dieting behavior.
- Parents can be activists and advocates for a critical perspective on media, the drive for thinness and over-emphasis on muscularity for boys.
- Parents can discourage self-disparagement and avoid disparaging themselves.
