Maternal influences (or lack thereof) on daughters' eating attitudes and behaviors

The relation between the eating-disordered attitudes and symptomatology of daughters and mothers was explored in a sample of 382 fourth- through eighth-grade girls and their mothers. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory or the Eating Disorder Inventory for Children, and mothers rated the pubertal status of their daughters using the Tanner Stages Questionnaire. No relationships were found between mothers' and their prepubertal daughters' weight preoccupation or eating psychopathology variables. For postpubertal daughters, some statistically significant, although small, relationships emerged. Results suggest that factors other than maternal influences should be considered in the exploration of eating disorders.