Identity development, parenting styles, body uneasiness, and disgust toward food. A perspective of integration and research

crucial for the formation of personal and social identity. The representations and patterns of self and others might be risk factors for the dysfunctional perception of one’s body, above all during adolescence. Likewise, certain defective parenting styles may prove crucial in the etiology of eating disorders. In particular, rejection and disgust for food may sometimes represent the negative product of early dysfunctional experiences. The present paper investigates the relationship between identity development, parenting styles, perception of body image and refusal of specific foods in a group of adolescents and young adults. Method: The group of participants consists of 100 subjects, aged 18 to 32 (M = 21.56, SD = 2.67), of which 71 girls and 29 boys, who were recruited among university students in Sicily. Participants completed the following instruments: the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Body Uneasiness Test, and an ad hoc questionnaire to identify the food which individuals feel more disgust, and the family experiences associated with that specific food. Results and conclusions: Data show the predictive role of parenting styles on identity development. Furthermore, identity commitment seems to predict the perception of body image. The hypothesis about the influence of parental control, especially the paternal one, on the intensity of food-specific disgust has also been confirmed. Results confirm the importance of relation between personal identity and family, the latter considered to be a predictor of personal and social development, not just a precursor of a high level of self-esteem, but also an expression of new tastes and food preferences.