Teasing About Weight May Have Dire Consequences

By Marla Eisenberg, M.P.H., Sc.D.
(Sept. 20, 2003; Updated Oct. 20, 2005)

Adolescence can be a trying time for both children and their families. Typically, it is a period when children desperately want to fit in with their peers, and if they are perceived not to, may be teased or even bullied. This can occur around issues such as choice of friends, sexual behavior, or race, to name just a few.

While bullying and hate-speech have come under public scrutiny in recent years, teasing based on body image has received less attention. At the University of Minnesota, however, we recently found that children who are teased about their bodies, whether thin or overweight, are two to three times more likely to think about or attempt suicide than children who aren't teased.

Teasing can have some profound effects on young people, which seems to be worse for girls, and much worse, for both boys and girls, if teased by both peers and family members. Surprisingly, both thin and overweight children can suffer the emotional effects of teasing.

Our study surveyed 4,700 middle and high school children in the Twin Cities as part of a larger study on nutrition, called Project EAT. We found that about one-third of girls and one-fourth of boys had been teased by their peers, and 29 percent of girls and 16 percent of boys were teased by family members.

The emotional effects were much more severe for those who were teased by both peers and family members. About half of the girls in this group had thought about suicide. One-fourth had attempted suicide. For boys in this group, 34 percent thought about suicide and 12 percent attempted it.

About half of the girls reported symptoms of serious depression and poor body image. Among boys, around 20 percent said they had low self-esteem.

As alarming as these findings may seem, there are several ways to help children faced with teasing. Of course, the most important action a parent or teacher can take is to stop any teasing that occurs at home or in school. Schools need to stress that teasing is not acceptable. For instance, many schools have policies against racial slurs and hate speech, and teasing people about their body shape could be incorporated into school policy.

At home, parents should not engage in teasing or allow other family members to tease a child, no matter how seemingly light-hearted it may appear. Parents and teachers should encourage children to talk about any teasing that they experience or witness.

Instead of focusing on an individual's weight, or what a person's body should look like, we should promote a "healthy body" approach. This includes good nutrition, plenty of exercise, and a healthy lifestyle one free of weight-based teasing.

Marla Eisenberg is an assistant professor in the Medical School's Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health. This column is an educational service of the University of Minnesota. Advice presented should not take the place of an examination by a health-care professional. For more health-related information, go to http://www.healthtalk.umn.edu/