My mother, sisters, and I: Investigating the role of female family members in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours among young Middle-Eastern women

Abstract

The global rise in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating concerns is apparent; however, limited research in Middle-Eastern populations gives an incomplete understanding of these concerns. The present study recruited 377 young women aged 18 to 25 years from the Middle-East for an online survey to determine how female family members may contribute to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. Guided by the Tripartite Influence Model, we investigated the relationships between appearance pressures and fat talk, from mothers and sister(s), in predicting body dissatisfaction, and in turn, disordered eating symptomatology (restriction and bulimia), as mediated by appearance comparisons and internalisation of the thin-ideal. Overall, greater appearance pressures and fat talk from mothers and sister(s) were associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptomatology. Greater reported closeness in mother-daughter relationships, but not sister relationships, was associated with less perceived appearance pressure and fat talk by mothers, and lower appearance comparisons, body dissatisfaction and bulimia symptomatology. Finally, participants perceived greater appearance pressure from their mothers than their sister(s), but there was no difference in their perceived levels of fat talk. Findings demonstrate the applicability of a subsection of the Tripartite Influence Model in a non-Western and understudied population, namely in young Middle-Eastern women.