My View: Catherine Scott

“It’s not fashionable to be fat,” she continued to my horror as I reassured her, as always, that she was perfect and had a good, balanced diet which ensured that she would remain healthy. But what makes an eight-year-old start to look at themselves in that way. When does an innocent comment turn into something more sinister and what, as a parent, are we supposed to do.

According to new figures just released, more than 2,000 children have received treatment for eating disorders in the past three years.

Of these, 98 youngsters are between the ages of five and seven, according to figures collated from 35 NHS hospitals.

And these numbers may just be the tip of the iceberg, as some hospitals refuse to provide data, while others only make selected figures available.

From a young age, children are sponges when it comes to picking up vibes, say experts. Seemingly harmless comments, such as how chocolate is bad for you or curbing certain foods is good, are picked up on. These experiences, coupled with peer pressure to look a certain way, can lead to later struggles with self-esteem, a fascination with looks and potentially negative relationships with food.

Apparently, to ensure their offspring remain balanced, parents must set a positive example when it comes to food and body image. And any criticism about looks or fussy eating kept to a minimum. It is then that as a parent you start to analyse exactly what you have said.

My daughter is a picky eater, and I do tell her that, does that mean I am turning her into someone with the potential to have an eating disorder? Surely not.

As parents we do our best to protect our children from the ever-increasing pressures around them. We do try to parent positively, but I have to admit that I am not always successful. I do tell my children that I love them all the time and also try to instill in them feelings of self-worth and confidence. But I do chastise them when they step out of line or break the boundaries we set them. Does that make me a bad parent, undermining their self-esteem?

While parenting is important, it has to be more than just whether I tell my child to eat up their broccoli because it is food for them.

Naomi Richards, a youth life coach, believes it goes wider than just parenting. “Kids are now reading magazines targeted towards older people and watching TV at a younger age. Therefore, they become more aware of the ideal shape and size earlier.” Our job as parents is surely to try to put these unattainable images into perspective, rather than beat ourselves up for trying to do the best by our children.