Examining the influence restrictive caregiver eating message have on female college student’s body ideal internalizations
Major
Neuroscience
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Psychology
Faculty Advisor
Marie Nebel-Schwalm
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-11-2026 11:15 AM
End Date
4-11-2026 12:30 PM
Abstract
Body ideal internalization is the process in which individuals adopt societal and/or cultural standards of attractiveness as personal goals or expectations, such as thinness or broader ideals of conventional attractiveness, leading them to evaluate their own body against these standards (Rodgers, et al., 2020). Research indicates that caregiver eating and weight related messages, particularly restrictive or critical messages, can communicate that a child’s body is unacceptable and this can promote body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (Van Diest & Tylka, 2010). Although these associations are well documented in childhood and adolescence, less is known about whether parental eating messages continue to impact body-ideal internalization in young adults, when parental influence is more distant (Berge, et al., 2024). Prior work with young adults suggests that having a history of critical caregiver messages that encourage restricting and limiting food intake are linked to greater perceived family pressure to be lean, lower body acceptance, and poorer eating-related outcomes; whereas pressure-to-increase-eating messages show weaker and less consistent associations with these outcomes (Rogers, et al., 2019). The present study seeks to determine if parental messages around eating during one’s childhood influences young adults' body-ideals. After accounting for self-esteem, we will use hierarchical linear regressions to examine whether parental eating messages influence the thin-ideal and the general attractiveness internalization. We predict that eating messages to restrict calories will be associated with both types of internalizations (thinness and general attractiveness); whereas messages to eat more will not be associated with either type of internalization.
Examining the influence restrictive caregiver eating message have on female college student’s body ideal internalizations
CNS Atrium
Body ideal internalization is the process in which individuals adopt societal and/or cultural standards of attractiveness as personal goals or expectations, such as thinness or broader ideals of conventional attractiveness, leading them to evaluate their own body against these standards (Rodgers, et al., 2020). Research indicates that caregiver eating and weight related messages, particularly restrictive or critical messages, can communicate that a child’s body is unacceptable and this can promote body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (Van Diest & Tylka, 2010). Although these associations are well documented in childhood and adolescence, less is known about whether parental eating messages continue to impact body-ideal internalization in young adults, when parental influence is more distant (Berge, et al., 2024). Prior work with young adults suggests that having a history of critical caregiver messages that encourage restricting and limiting food intake are linked to greater perceived family pressure to be lean, lower body acceptance, and poorer eating-related outcomes; whereas pressure-to-increase-eating messages show weaker and less consistent associations with these outcomes (Rogers, et al., 2019). The present study seeks to determine if parental messages around eating during one’s childhood influences young adults' body-ideals. After accounting for self-esteem, we will use hierarchical linear regressions to examine whether parental eating messages influence the thin-ideal and the general attractiveness internalization. We predict that eating messages to restrict calories will be associated with both types of internalizations (thinness and general attractiveness); whereas messages to eat more will not be associated with either type of internalization.