A study sought to understand familial processes in families with a bulimic daughter. Sixty adolescent and young adult women (19 bulimic, 20 obese and 21 noneating disordered) and their mothers and fathers served as subjects. Each was administered the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) and the following inventories, Family Satisfaction, Parent-Daughter Communication, Family Strengths and a general data questionnaire. Results showed bulimic daughters and their mothers and fathers located significantly in the extreme family type areas of the Circumplex Model of Family Systems. Although not significant, obese daughters and their parents located in the mid-range areas. Noneating disordered daughters and their parents were significantly balanced. Low cohesion was of particular importance in determining the location for bulimics. Bulimic daughters and their parents expressed significant dissatisfaction with family dynamics. Bulimic daughters expressed a significantly low perception of open communication patterns while both bulimic and obese daughters and their parents expressed significantly low perceptions of family pride
