Back in the 1970s eating disorders were very much attributed to the way parents raised their children, especially the mother. Famously, the 1978 book The Golden Cage written by Hilde Bruch implied that the mothers of anorexic girls and boys were too cold, too warm, smothered their children with treats or ignored them and went to work.
However, the notion that whatever mothers did was wrong is now less favoured and many psychology and health experts are urging parents not to blame themselves if their child does develop an eating disorder.
According to Mary George from the eating disorder charity Beat, many parents blame themselves for their child’s anorexia or bulimia, but they should not assume guilt.
George explains that the more we learn ‘it becomes clear that parental influence on its own would not be responsible for a child developing an eating disorder’.
Modern research is continually revealing biological causes which could be behind anorexia, and sufferers have a tendency to display specific underlying genetic traits such as an obsessive desire for order as well as perfectionism.
Back in 2007 a Swedish paper revealed that the physical process of starving yourself could actually trigger symptoms of anorexia in the brain. When healthy male participants were asked to eat less food during a six month study period, they began to actually think like anorexics. If you eat too little food for too long, it is possible that anyone can become anorexic.
Though parents are not blameless in every case, such as households in which there is violence or sexual assault, mothers do not cause eating disorder in the way which many have previously assumed and families enduring an eating disorder should not load the blame upon themselves.
If your family has been affected by an eating disorder then family counselling is a service which could help you. Though eating disorder counselling is the most beneficial form for sufferers themselves, family counselling is a way for every family member to be heard so that you can better understand each other and cope with the situation as a unit.
If this sounds like something which you feel may be able to help you then please use our advanced search to find a family counsellor in your local area.
Counsellors and psychotherapists often offer special offers and discounted prices for sessions involving the entire family so discuss this with them upon inquiry.
View the original Telegraph article.