FAMILIAL TRANSMISSION OF RESTRAINED EATIN G

Restrained eating (RE) is considered a risk factor for eating disorder s. RE was found fo be associated with fear of growing fat and specific behavioral patterns in the laboratory: Unrestrained adults (UREs) red uce food intake after a preload, while the reverse has been shown for REs. The aim of the present study was to test whether these behavior p atterns and the fear of growing far are also present in the daughters of REs. In a laboratory experiment with 42 daughters (between the ages of 7 and 14 years) of RE and URE mothers the same interaction was fou nd as outlined above: Daughters of RE mothers consumed larger amounts of ice creme after a preload and smaller amounts when they had not rec eived a preload. The inverse pattern, however, was found for the daugh ters of RE mothers. In addition, the daughters of RE mothers reported more fear of growing fat. The results lend support to the familial tra nsmission hypothesis of the risk factor RE.