Family adaptability and cohesion: Relation to eating attitudes and disorders

Clinicians have suggested that anorexic and bulimic disorders are associated with abnormal family interaction. This study used the FACES II questionnaire to test that hypothesis. Anorexic and bulimic women perceived their families as lower in adaptability (rigid) and cohesion (disengaged) than comparison women. However, there were no linear relationships between perceived family interaction and scores on the EAT-40. The FACES II is poorly associated with measures of eating attitudes but has a more clinically valid association with diagnosed eating disorders.