“Be like me”: the role of parental modeling on sons’ body dissatisfaction and disordered eating

Abstract

AbstractParents can influence sons’ body image and eating behaviors both directly (e.g., through comments) and/or indirectly (i.e., through modeling). However, available studies still lack in addressing parents’ influence on their sons. This study aimed to explore parental indirect influence by investigating the associations between mothers’ and fathers’ body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and corresponding dimensions in their sons. Moreover, we examined the relation between mothers’ and fathers’ social anxiety symptoms, low self-esteem, and perfectionistic traits, and their sons’ body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Group differences (sons, mothers, and fathers) in the above-mentioned variables were also investigated. A hundred and twenty-eight Italian males (Mage = 23.88 years ± 3.13, range 18–31) from various regions of Italy and their parents completed questionnaires investigating the above-mentioned variables. Analyses of Covariances were conducted, controlling for participants’ age. Group differences emerged in relation to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Multiple regressions showed that sons’ drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction were associated with mothers’ body dissatisfaction, dysfunctional eating behaviors, and perfectionism, while bulimic symptoms were associated with fathers’ perfectionism and with the living condition of sons (i.e., living with their parents). The present findings underscore the significant role that mothers may play in shaping their sons’ body- and eating-related behaviors, as mothers’ behavioral and cognitive dimensions related to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating are shown to be more strongly associated with their sons’ body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness than fathers’ dimensions. Moreover, our findings highlighted that fathers’ influence might be limited to sons’ bulimic symptoms, as fathers’ perfectionism and the living condition of sons (i.e., sharing the house with parents) emerged as associated with sons’ bulimic symptoms. This study further supports the importance of considering the parental role when addressing men’s body image and eating behaviors.