Could your level of education have an effect on your daughter’s body image? One study is saying there is a definite possibility.

Researchers have found an association between parental education and the risk of developing an eating disorder in females. Girls who come from families who are highly educated, or do well in school themselves, have an increased risk of hospitalization due to eating disorders. The better the grades, the higher the risk.

This could be the result of more pressure from successful families. Some girls may translate the examples led by their parents or grandparents into an obsession for perfection. These high internal demands could have girls wanting a sense of control, leading to strict eating patterns and monitoring body weight.

The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2009; authors studied three generations of Swedish females. Recorded data included grandparental and parental social characteristics, hospitalization, sibling position and school grades.

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