Weight teasing from mothers emerged as the most consistently significant family source associated with negative outcomes
Weight-related teasing from family members is common among adolescents, and new research from UConn's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health shows that who the teasing comes from may play an important role in youth health and well-being.
The study, published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, examined data from a national sample of 1,073 U.S. adolescents ages 10 to 17 to understand how weight teasing from different family members relates to eating behaviors, body image, and internalized weight stigma. Researchers analyzed teasing from 11 specific relatives, including parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The findings show that weight teasing from female relatives (particularly mothers, sisters, aunts, and cousins) was consistently associated with more harmful outcomes for adolescents, including binge eating, unhealthy weight control behaviors, lower body appreciation, and greater internalized weight bias. Teasing from male relatives showed fewer and less consistent associations.
"Most research treats the family as a single source of weight stigma, obscuring the distinct roles of specific members," said lead author Rui Wu, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS). "Our study provides new evidence that teasing from different family relationships uniquely impacts adolescents' well-being."
Weight teasing from mothers emerged as the most consistently significant family source associated with negative outcomes for both boys and girls. The study also found that girls reported higher rates of family-based weight teasing than boys, particularly from female relatives.
In addition, researchers found that weight-related stigma was reported across different body sizes. Adolescents considered underweight or at a healthy weight still experienced weight teasing from family members, challenging the assumption that weight teasing affects only youth with higher body weights.
Further, the study has important implications for future interventions to support adolescents.
"Our findings highlight that reducing weight stigma requires family-centered, relationship-specific approaches that engage the broader family network and equip pediatric healthcare professionals to address the distinct roles that family dynamics play in adolescents' experiences," said primary investigator of the study Rebecca Puhl, HDFS professor and deputy director of the Rudd Center.
No matter the relationship, everyday interactions related to body weight can have harmful and lasting effects on adolescents' health and well-being, underscoring the importance of communicating with respect and compassion.
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