Role of the Family in the Prevention of Eating Disorders - Essay Example

Role of the Family in the Prevention of Eating Disorders Introduction Eating disorders usually affect a number of persons in the form of anorexia, and bulimia especially amongst girls. Eating disorders can be described as serious psychiatric illnesses, whereby the affected person utilizes food in a manner that can be described as unhealthy. This is usually done to withstand certain situations or emotions. The starvation of an individual through their personal action characterizes anorexia as a form of eating disorder. This situation is addictive in nature, leading to the distortion of the body. Bulimia on the other hand is a complex disorder that affects mostly adolescents who take much food. Apparently, the food is thereafter removed from the body through vomiting, starving, exercise as well as other methods such as through laxatives (Bulik et al, 2005). While the family and the family factors may play a significant role from the onset of the eating disorders, it is not the only reason that predisposes a person to suffer from the eating disorders. The question that arises is what role the family can play in the prevention of the eating disorders (Stockman, 2009). To answer this question, we must appreciate that the family must be involved in the prevention of the eating disorders before they set in or they turn for the worse. Contributing Factors to Eating Disorders Eating orders are caused by many situations and events that make the person at risk of suffering the condition and this includes filial relationships or genetics amongst other causes (Jacobi et al, 2005). The eating disorders will lead to problems of body image in the society, which places much emphasis on the beauty, and the physical perfection of the body. Mostly, the adolescent girls are very self-conscious of their body and the fact that a person has an undesirable body that does not resemble the perfect physical shape make them involve in dietary regimes that may cause eating disorders (Shoebridge and Gowers, 2000). Once the eating disorder sets in, the affected person loses weight rapidly in the case of anorexia while the person suffering from bulimia stops eating soon after starting which may call for the intervention of the family in the prevention of this phenomenon. Role of the Family in the Prevention of Eating Disorders The family can play a vital role in the prevention of the eating disorders; this is majorly through the elimination of the factors that may lead a person to the eating disorders or the early treatment and detection of the disorder. This can be through the finding of effective ways of minimizing the pressures brought by the family or the society as well as the individual that makes a person want to be thin (Le and Lock, 2011). It may also involve the family striving to reduce the duration of an eating disorder through early detection and intervening to stop the behaviour before it degenerates for the worse. The fact that the attitudes attributed to the body and weight by culture is usually communicated to an individual through the family. Therefore, it is important that the parents put a stop or prevent the communication of such attitudes to the children (LeCroy and Mann, 2008). The parents must therefore open communication channels within the family that makes them appreciate the current attitudes on weight and appearance without compromising the values of the children on the same. The family must endeavour to instil healthy and balanced eating habits at the home. This is done to ensure the children and any other family members use adequate and the desired food for nutritional purposes only. This means that food must only be used and taken as a means of nourishing the body and energy and not used as a reward or punishment in the case of children (Shoebridge and Gowers, 2000). Further, exercise that is desirable for the well-being of the individual should be carried out for health and fun purposes and not merely as a means of procuring weight loss. Although an individual may take up a character or be influenced by an act that will lead him to the eating disorders, the family especially the parents have a significant role in the prevention of these disorders (Le et al., 2009). The family must therefore act in a manner that will make their children halt eating habits that may be dangerously leading them to eating disorders. These strategies will lead in the prevention of the eating disorders before their onset, which may be detrimental to the family members, especially the children. The family also plays a significant role in the development and enhancing of values and self-esteem of the members within the society (LeCroy and Mann, 2008). Therefore, the family members must learn to appreciate one another in terms of their appearance. Secondly, the family should avoid over-compliment other members, whom may make them, go on diet in order to change appearance to improve self-esteem. This means that every family member especially the children should be able to appreciate the fact that value is not only predicated on the looks, but also other important facets of the human such as character (Le and Lock, 2011). The focus may also be placed on the unique talents of the family members as well as achievements while at the same time reinforcing the positives that emanate from the child. Through such efforts, the children will be able to appreciate themselves and are likely to desist or even attempt feeding habits that may lead to the eating disorders. The parents in a family must also realize the profound impact that their own acts and behaviour have on the children within the family. Therefore, a parent especially a mother who is on diet and closely watches over the amount of calories and fats that she takes while at the same time watching their weight will ultimately have an effect on the behaviour of the daughter (Stein et al, 2006). This encourages the child to take after such kind of behaviour that leads to the eating disorders that may be difficult to treat. The family especially the parents and the siblings can play a significant role in detecting the changes and attitudes that a particular family member has on food, weight, shape as well as appearance (Treasure, Smith and Crane, 2007). This is through early detection of the warning signs and the members of the family who have been found to be at the highest risk of developing eating disorders. This will help in knowing how to approach and help in the prevention and the treatment of the eating disorder whenever an individual is about to develop it. The family may also play a role in the prevention of the eating disorders by protecting the members from negative media and peer pressure. This may lead a member to adopt eating strategies that may lead to eating disorders (Martínez-González et al, 2009). The family should therefore ensure that there is positive communication through a discussion of the real world, as opposed to what a person should look like ideally as depicted by slender models for instance. The value should be placed on the individuals and ensure that this is appreciated. As such, the negative exposure to the family member is prevented or controlled (Stein et al, 2006). This could also be achieved through having a healthy relationship with food in the diet of an individual and the combating of the pressures that the society puts on the children. Most importantly, the family can prevent eating disorders by adopting healthy eating habits and diet, while diverting their focus on dieting (Stockman, 2009). This can be achieved through making the meal times more pleasant so that a person enjoys the food that is offered, while at the same time encouraging active lifestyle. The family can also explain to the children, especially the female ones the expected body changes especially during puberty. This is an avenue of sensitizing the children, as they are aware that the changes in the body are temporary and part of the natural process of growth and development (Stein et al, 2006). Conclusion It is always easy to prevent the eating disorders than curing them. As such, a family plays a key role in offering interventions aimed at preventing the disorder from occurring. The family must aim at enhancing the self-esteem of the member likely to fall into the trap of anorexia or bulimia. This is majorly through the rejection of guilt that a person should look in a certain manner or appearance and weigh a certain weight. As a matter of importance, the family should have a healthy role model and avoid criticizing the appearance of a particular member of the family or her weight. It is important that the family should emphasize the importance of a healthy and fit body, instead of a thin body. This helps in preventing a family member from falling into the trap of eating disorders. It is important to praise the members of the family for who they are to improve the self-esteem and valuing of oneself. This will help the person in the family not likely to experience eating disorders in the family that may be detrimental to their health. 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A., Gual, P., Lahortiga, F., Alonso, Y., de, I.-E. J., & Cervera, S. (January 01, 2003). Parental factors, mass media influences, and the onset of eating disorders in a prospective population-based cohort. Pediatrics, 111, 2, 315-20. Shoebridge, P., & Gowers, S. G. (January 01, 2000). Parental high concern and adolescent- onset anorexia nervosa. A case-control study to investigate direction of causality. The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science, 176, 132-7. Stein, A., Woolley, H., Cooper, S., Winterbottom, J., Fairburn, C. G., & Cortina-Borja, M. (January 01, 2006). Eating habits and attitudes among 10-year-old children of mothers with eating disorders. Longitudinal study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 324-3 Stockman, J. A. (January 01, 2009). Family Meals and Disordered Eating in Adolescents: Longitudinal Findings From Project EAT. Yearbook of Pediatrics, 2009, 28-29. Treasure, J., Smith, G., & Crane, A. (2007). Skills-based learning for caring for a loved one with an eating disorder: The new Maudsley method. London: Routledge. . Read More