Schema and parental bonding in overweight and nonoverweight female adolescents

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether family functioning and cognitions in a group of overweight female adolescents differ significantly from those in a group of normal weight female adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: In all, 23 overweight female adolescents (mean age: 17.6 y, mean body mass index (BMI: 27.8 kg/m 2 ), and 23 normal weight female adolescents (mean age: 17.7 y, mean BMI: 20.2 kg/m 2 ). MEASUREMENTS:The following self-report measures were completed: the Parental Bonding Inventory, 1 the Young Schema Questionnaire-short version, 2 the Eating Attitudes Test, 3 the Beck Depression Inventory 4 and the Eating Disorder Belief Questionnaire. 5 RESULTS: Overweight female adolescents reported more negative self-beliefs and greater belief in schema relating to emotional deprivation, fears of abandonment, subjugation and insufficient self-control. They also perceived their fathers as being significantly more overprotective and significantly less caring. Within this group perceived level of maternal care correlated negatively with negative self-beliefs and schema. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight female adolescents show some of the cognitive features associated with the development of an eating disorder. However, positive parent-child relationships may serve to protect overweight adolescents from developing clinical eating disorders and from psychological distress later in life.

Adolescent dietary patterns are associated with lifestyle and family psycho-social factors

“…The 'healthy' dietary pattern was positively associated with better family functioning, independent of family income and maternal education. Other studies have shown poor family functioning to be associated with obesity in adolescents (32,33) ; however, this has not been demonstrated conclusively at a population level (34) . Adolescents from single-parent families had lower scores for both the 'healthy' and the 'Western' patterns, which suggests that their diets are neither overtly 'healthy' nor 'Western'.…”

Better quality of mother–child interaction at 4 years of age decreases emotional overeating in IUGR girls

“…In obese women, paternal and maternal overprotection decrease emotional awareness and increase emotional eating (Rommel et al, 2012). The "low care/high control" pattern of parental bonding is also associated with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia (Canetti, Kanyas, Lerer, Latzer, & Bachar, 2008;Fosse & Holen, 2006;Fujimori et al, 2011;Lobera, Rios, & Casals, 2011;Swanson et al, 2010;Turner, Rose, & Cooper, 2005).…”

Associations Among Body Mass Index, Depression, and Family Factors Across Two Generations

“…In a study of older adolescents, Turner et al (2005) studied the similarities and differences between two groups of non-Hispanic White adolescent girls (one index [overweight] group and one control [normal weight] group) regarding parental bonding and some aspects of mental health such as depression, eating disorders, and self-beliefs. The study participants were 17 or 18 years old, and each group consisted of 23 participants.…”