Mothers’ Weight Loss Behaviors Predict Ideas About Dieting in Their Five-Year-Old Daughters.

Abstract

Dieting is a norm among women, with 70% of adult women currently dieting (NIH Statement, 1992). Dieting women of childbearing age are of great interest because their use of various dieting behaviors may influence their offspring. Thus, this research was designed to investigate the relationship between mothers’ dieting behaviors and daughters’ knowledge of dieting in 197 mother/daughter pairs (mean age of 35.4 and 5.4 years, respectively). Both mothers and daughters completed a weight concerns scale and self-esteem measure. Girls answered the open-ended question “What is a diet?” during an individual interview. Mothers completed a 21 -item checklist of various weight loss behaviors (French, et. al., 1995). Based on factor analysis, weight loss behaviors were categorized as healthy or unhealthy. Mothers were then classified as healthy (31%) or unhealthy (62%) dieters based on their responses. Mothers who were classified as unhealthy dieters engaged in unhealthy behaviors in addition to healthy behaviors. Logistic regression analysis revealed that when mothers used unhealthy weight control behaviors, daughters were almost twice (OR=1.9) as likely to have plausible ideas about what constitutes a diet. Because mothers who use unhealthy weight loss behaviors also use healthy weight loss behaviors, their daughters are likely to be exposed to a wider variety of weight loss methods and have a greater chance of knowing about dieting. Mothers’ weight concerns were significantly correlated with daughters’ weight concerns (r=.16; p<.02). Mothers’ self-esteem was significantly correlated with daughters’ self-esteem (r=.14; p<.05). Mothers’ self-perceptions, as well as dieting behavior, have an impact on daughters’ emerging sense of self and understanding of dieting.