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Childhood Memories About Food: The Successful Dieters Project
Author(s) -
Brink Pamela J.,
Ferguson Kristi,
Sharma Anju
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.331
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6171
pISSN - 1073-6077
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6171.1999.tb00037.x
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , environmental health , medicine
PURPOSE. The Successful Dieters Project explored and described the characteristics of dieters. This paper reports the results of a content analysis of one question about childhood memories surrounding food. METHODS. All subjects were interviewed once with an intensive interview guide, were weighed, and were measured for height and waist‐hip ratios. SUBJECTS. Subjects (N = 162) were 76 men and 86 women, who ranged in age from 21 to 84 years. FINDINGS. Gender and weight histo y differences were noted in the areas of food rules, the age at which dieting to control weight began, family food rules, positive versus negative memories, and the use of food as a rmard or punishment. Parental experience with food deprivation was a strong force in shaping childrenS attitudes toward food. CONCLUSIONS. Childhood memories about food appear to contribute to diferences among the obese, the always‐normul‐weight, and the successful dieter. Further research into this area of investigation is uxtrrantd.