OBJECTIVE: To evaluate body dissatisfaction, dieting and risk behaviors for eating disorders among a sample of mothers living in the city of Santos. METHODS: It was conducted a cross-sectional population-based study with 453 mothers of children aged until 10 years old. The mothers answered to the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Stunkard's Figure Scale and a question about being currently dieting. RESULTS: 29.9% presented a positive score for risk behaviors for eating disorders and 21.8% were currently dieting. Regarding body image, 17.5% of the mothers were satisfied with their current body size, 71.5% would like to decrease their body sizes and 11.0% would like to increase it. The risk behaviors for eating disorders were more frequent among the body-dissatisfied mothers (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Most of the mothers were dissatisfied with their body sizes. The frequency of mothers who practiced diets or presented risk behaviors for eating disorders was similar or superior to the rest of the national studies, conducted, at large, with populations considered at risk, such as adolescent girls or young college women.
Eating disorders; diet; body image; mothers
