Diet culture socialization in the parent-child relationship: Effects on children’s disordered eating and positive body image

Communication within the parent-child relationship plays a key role in children's well-being, particularly children's disordered eating behaviors and body image. Given the critical role of parental communication and beliefs in children's socialization, the current study tested a model in which parental weight talk may facilitate children's diet culture-related beliefs, which may further affect children's disordered eating and positive body image. Surveys were completed by 199 parent-child dyads, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results provide support for diet culture socialization within the parent-child relationship via parental weight talk, with disordered eating as a key outcome. However, children's diet culture beliefs were not found to be directly associated with positive body image. Implications for future research on the parent-child relationship and children's well-being are discussed.