Why do parents ignore eating disorders?

angelique — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:34:31 +0000

This is a post I’ve considered writing for a while now. It has to do with parents ignoring the warning signs and symptoms of eating disorders in their children.

I always ask myself, “Why didn’t the mom/dad know? Why didn’t she/he do anything?” See, I’ve witnessed a lot of parents turning a blind eye to anorexia, bulimia and binge eating in their kids.

I have some personal theories on the subject that I’d like to share. They aren’t definitive by any means, of course, but are only thoughts. Feel free to share yours, too.

1. They don’t understand what an eating disorder is. This is tough to accept, since it feels like “everyone” should know about EDs. But the fact is that they don’t. So if they are ignorant of anorexia and bulimia, they aren’t going to suspect them.

2. They are eating disordered themselves. I think that for some families, eating disorders and ED behaviors are hereditary. Thus, a mom who sees her daughter avoiding food may not find it that unusual since she’s doing it herself.

3. They like the results. Let’s face it; for some parents, hearing, “Wow! Your daughter is beautiful and thin! She could be a model!” probably makes their heads swell. It’s much easier to accept words like those in our society than to hear, “Your kid really needs to lose weight.”

4. They just don’t care. I hate to admit it, but I know some moms and dads don’t give two figs about their offspring. Sad, but true.

5. They are ashamed. Parents tend to think that everything their kids do reflects negatively on them. So if they admit there’s a problem, they’ll be forced to put themselves in the spotlight.