to wonder if ED's are in the genes or if they can be 'caught'?

[newmummytobe79]

Ok ... not caught as such ... just encouraged by the environment you're in?

I had/have an unhealthy attitude to food and often wonder if it's because I was very keen on gymnastics and dancing as a child and into adulthood. Wearing a leotard from an early age made me very body concious to the point I have always wanted to look slim.

I would love my DC to be sporty but wonder if my issues could be passed on via gene's? This does sound a little stupid now I'm writing it down ...

Or will my healthy attitude towards my kids food be enough?

I just find the nation's obsession with weight hard to work out - one minute we're an obese nation the next heroin chic is look.

Does anyone have any experience with ED's over generations?

What's an ED?

Sorry - an eating disorder

Not sure.

But I have a friend with issues around food/eating. And her 6y dd know the calorie content of most foods where my dc are unaware as we don't have healthy/unhealthy food. Just eat everything in moderation.

Not sure. I think there is a lot of research going on in this area. I do know that EDs have very strong links with autism, so there is certainly an indication of some sort of genetic predisposition.

I think there is emerging evidence that there are genes which predispose someone to over eating.Also there was a documentary on a while ago about thin people who simply excreted extra calories rather than turning it to fat.

I think they are more likely to pick things up from messages you are giving them, intentionally or not. If you feel you still have an unhealthy attitude to food (you say had/have) then you may want to work on that a bit. It won't be enough to have a healthy attitude to your kids' food, they will see how you feel about it for yourself and learn from that.

It's the age old nature nurture debate.

Kids pick up on things. I am careful to hide my binge / purge from DS when I get to that state, and always eat very carefully in front of him. We have healthy snacks, talk about healthy foods (not good / bad foods, don't want to install that in him), and when I feel up to it, he helps me with the grocery shopping, choosing which fruit and veg he would like. As it is this week he's having kids ready meals for dinner because I can't face the shopping, preparation or cooking of food. He's still eating well, or better than he would be without them.

I have a friend I was in the teen psych unit with when we were both sixteen, she was incredibly ill with anorexia. She still has blibs and freak outs at times, but knows how to cope with them now - in a healthy way, such as exercising, and not doing things to an excess - so that her two DCs maintain a good attitude to foods.

I don't think your worries are stupid; once you have been to a dark place with mental health, your natural fear is for your DC to EVER feel as bad as you have.

Keep focused on sport being fun for them, and maintaining a healthy diet. Reduce their contact with the media towards weight where you can; don't watch the news or read magazines with them nearby, because they will pick up on things.

I hope you're okay now.

I think that when it comes to EDs, nature can predispose someone, but it is more to do with nurture. In my experience anyway.

I have talked to a lot of people with food issues over recent years because my DH had one, and in pretty much every case, the sufferer can thing of things that their parents did or didn't do in their childhood that contributed significantly.