Recent research suggests that prevalence of parental fat talk is directly associated with disordered eating behaviors in children, such as binge eating, overeating, secretive eating, as well as drive for thinness and bulimic symptomatology. 

University of Illinois at Chicago

"Fat talk" refers to disparaging comments about body image and weight, and can include comments about weight, eating and exercise habits, fear of being overweight, appearance and behavior comparisons, or strategies to change appearance. 

Fat Talk

Lydecker, J. A., Riley, K. E., & Grilo, C. M. (2018). Associations of parents' self, child, and other “fat talk” with child eating behaviors and weight. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(6), 527-534.

Associations of parents' self, child, and other “fat talk” with child eating behaviors and weight

Abraczinskas, M., Fisak Jr, B., & Barnes, R. D. (2012). The relation between parental influence, body image, and eating behaviors in a nonclinical female sample. Body Image, 9(1), 93-100.

The relation between parental influence, body image, and eating behaviors in a nonclinical female sample

Examples of fat talk may include:

- Parents teasing child about their appearance
- Parents commenting on child's weight
- Parents telling child to eat different foods in order to lose weight/keep them from gaining weight
- Parents telling child no one will accept them if they continue to gain weight

Examples of Fat Talk

Fat Talk and Disordered Eating in Children

Recent research consistently finds that parental fat talk is associated with the Body Mass Index (BMI) of children, as overweight/obese children received greater levels of direct feedback from parents. 

Fat Talk and BMI Status in Children

Research continues to find that boys experience more parental fat talk in their families than girls, however, associations of disordered eating behaviors with parental fat talk are strongest for adolescent girls. It is possible that parents are more aware that fat talk is potentially detrimental to their daughters than their sons, perhaps because eating disorders are more readily associated with young women than men. 

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