Teasing Kids About Their Weight May Make Them Gain More

School can be tough on kids who have overweight or obesity. They’ re often cruelly teased and bullied. 【小题1】, which was confirmed in a study of Pediatric Obesity. The study found that making fun of kids for their weight is linked to increased weight gain well into adulthood—the more teasing that kids and teens experience, the more weight they may gain.

To assess the link between teasing and weight gain, the author surveyed 110 children and young teens who were either overweight themselves or who had two parents with overweight. 【小题2】.

During the first visit, the kids were asked whether they had been bullied for their size. Among participants with overweight, 62% reported they had been teased at least once, while 21% of straight-size, at-risk participants reported they had been. 【小题3】. Whether they had overweight at the study’s start or not, those who reported being teased often for their weight gained 33% more body mass, on average, and 91% more fat per year than their peers who weren’t teased.

【小题4】. “But we can say weight-based teasing was significantly linked with weight gain over time,” she says.

【小题5】. Teasing can also lead to increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can stimulate appetite, and increase risk for depression and anxiety—both of which contribute to disordered eating. It also may drive kids away from physical activities like sports and gym classes, where they risk getting made fun of for their size.