Anxious Mothers and Anorexia

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Anxious Mothers and Anorexia

 

A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests

that a strong contributor to anorexia nervosa in teenage girls is

the anxiety level of their mothers during pregnancy and the

girls' upbringing. Three times as many mothers of the anorexic

group in this study had experienced a stillbirth or miscarried

pregnancy before giving birth to their daughters. The researchers

believe that the mothers projected their anxieties and

insecurities onto their offspring, both during pregnancy and

childhood. These mothers were also more distressed when their

daughters first started nursery school. As the girls grew older,

the girls that eventually suffered from anorexia were typically

the last ones allowed to spend a night away from home.

 

BJP, February 1, 2000.

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