The mother-daughter-sister triad: The role of female family members in predicting body image and eating behaviour in young women

Abstract

Familial influence, specifically from mothers and sisters, may impact the development of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in young women. Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model, the present study recruited 422 young Australian women for a survey to determine how appearance pressures and fat talk, exhibited by mothers and sisters, and mediational mechanisms (comparisons and internalisation), are associated with body dissatisfaction, and in turn, disordered eating symptomatology. We also explored differences in perceived ratings of mother versus sister appearance pressures and fat talk. Findings were in the hypothesised directions. Greater appearance pressures and fat talk from mothers and sisters was associated with greater body dissatisfaction, restriction and bulimic behaviours. Furthermore, appearance pressures from mothers and sisters was related to young women’s likelihood of engaging in appearance comparisons and thin-ideal internalisation, which was associated with body dissatisfaction, and in turn, disordered eating symptomatology. Finally, participants perceived more appearance pressures from their mothers than their sisters, and perceived their mothers to exhibit greater fat talk than their sisters. The findings extend previous research in an important and novel way by investigating individual agents of female familial influence in addition to the role of fat talk in predicting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.