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A Harsh Childhood Weight-Related Environment: A Retrospective Qualitative Study of Adult Women with Overweight or Obesity

Redondo, Rachel Anne
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6581-2892
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1655466550743366

Abstract Details

2022, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Clinical.
Overweight and obesity are major concerns in the United States. The obesity proneness model developed by Costanzo and Woody (1985) outlines how parental food restriction and other weight-related behaviors (e.g., expressing concern about child’s weight) can lead to obesity and disordered eating. Parental food restriction is defined as the restriction of types of foods or the restriction of total caloric intake (Birch et al., 2001; Musher-Eizenman & Holub, 2007). Other parental weight-related behaviors that have been studied include encouragement to diet and weight-related talk (Armstrong et al., 2014; Bauer et al., 2013), as well as weight-related abuse (Salwen & Hymowitz, 2015), which represents the most severe weight-related caregiver perbehaviors in the parent-child eating/weight literature currently. The current investigation assessed more extreme forms of caregiver food restriction and other weight-related behaviors (referred to as a harsh childhood weight-related environment) by conducting interviews with adult women with overweight/obesity who experienced such an environment. Themes representing the extreme ways caregivers restricted participants’ food consumption include: restriction of food quantity, restriction of food type, enrollment in formalized diets or treatment programs, prevention of food consumption when not present, restriction of entire meals, restriction in response to food consumption or weight, encouragement or coercion of decreased food consumption, encouragement or coercion of healthy food consumption, and inspection or examination of food consumption. Themes representing the extreme other caregiver behaviors participants experienced, like the food restriction themes, outline the specific behaviors (e.g., enforcement of exercise) caregivers used to influence participants’ weight, in addition to restricting their food. Results also describe the coping behaviors participants reported using to increase their food consumption, disobey or comply with their caregiver’s restrictions, or survive their environment. Further, results describe the difficulties participants reported experiencing regarding their eating, self-perception, emotions, weight, physical health, and social relationships during childhood and adulthood in relation to their childhood experiences. Results support the need for prevention strategies to reduce children’s exposure to severe caregiver food restriction and other weight-related behaviors, as well as interventions to decrease the impact of such experiences on the psychological, physical, and social well-being of adults who experienced these caregiver behaviors.
Abby Braden, PhD. (Committee Chair)
Meagan Docherty, PhD. (Committee Member)
Catherine Stein, PhD. (Committee Member)
159 p.
Clinical Psychology
parent-child food restriction; obesity; overweight; disordered eating; encouragement to diet; weight-related abuse; child trauma

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Redondo, R. A. (2022). A Harsh Childhood Weight-Related Environment: A Retrospective Qualitative Study of Adult Women with Overweight or Obesity [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1655466550743366

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Redondo, Rachel. A Harsh Childhood Weight-Related Environment: A Retrospective Qualitative Study of Adult Women with Overweight or Obesity . 2022. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1655466550743366.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Redondo, Rachel. "A Harsh Childhood Weight-Related Environment: A Retrospective Qualitative Study of Adult Women with Overweight or Obesity ." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1655466550743366

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1655466550743366
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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.