Research on Family Conversations about Body Image and Anorexia

This research looks at how families talk about body image when a young person is affected by anorexia nervosa. Previous research has shown that dissatisfaction with body image can contribute to the development and persistence of eating disorders. This study explores what family conversations reveal about the wider social and cultural ideas around body image, helping us understand how these ideas shape the experience of anorexia within families. It will also examine how family members are positioned in these conversations, how social norms around body image are either followed or resisted, and how these discussions may influence relationships and experiences within the family. While there are no immediate benefits for those people participating in the project, it is hoped that this research will provide insight into how body image can be discussed in ways that help people resist feelings of dissatisfaction about their bodies in the context of anorexia. This will be useful within family discussions, individual and family therapy, and in the context of wider society.