Abstract

Background: Parents have a control role in the development and treatment of eating disorders among teenagers. Aim: To compare attitudes, beliefs and behaviors between mothers of patients with eating disorders and mothers of teenagers without these disorders. Material and methods: Twenty one mother-sibling pairs of adolescents with eating disorders and 15 pairs of adolescents without this condition, but of similar age, were studied. The eating disorders inventory (EDI-2), a self administered questionnaire that includes 91 items, was applied. Results: No differences in any of the subscales of EDI-2 were observed between mothers of teenagers with or without eating disorders. No differences in perfectionism, maturity fears, impulsivity and interpersonal distrust were observed between adolescents with and without eating disorders. The latter had a lesser drive for thinness and inefficacy. Conclusions: In this sample, no differences in behaviors, attitudes and beliefs about food, were observed between mothers of adolescents with and without eating disorders.