Prospective associations between peer teasing in childhood and young men’s obesity

Abstract

Objective Being teased and otherwise victimized by peers during childhood increases risk for obesity. However, few prospective studies have considered whether risk extends to adulthood. We tested whether being teased in childhood predicted higher body mass index (BMI) and increased odds of obesity in early adulthood in a community sample of American males. Method Boys (n = 206) were classified as victims of peer teasing or non-victims (n = 55 and 151, respectively) based on mother, father, and teacher reports at ages 10, 11, and 12 years. BMI was assessed at ages 24 or 32 years for 203 of the participants. Family income, parent and child depressive symptoms, child antisocial behavior, and childhood BMI were assessed at ages 10–13 years and served as control variables. Results In unadjusted comparisons, childhood victims did not differ significantly from non-victims on BMI (mean [SD] = 27.49 [4.53] and 26.97 [4.60], respectively) or rates of obesity (42% and 31%, respectively) in early adulthood. In adjusted models, no group differences emerged for BMI (β [95% confidence interval (CI)] = .02 [−.09–.13], p = .77) or obesity (Odds ratio [95% CI] = 1.58 [.67–3.71], p = .30). Conclusions Peer victimization has been associated with immediate and long-term maladjustment outcomes that are in some cases life threatening. However, our null results do not support that peer victimization significantly increases long-term risk for obesity, and findings are consistent with two other long-term prospective studies of this issue.

Peer teasing experiences of fathers and their children: Intergenerational associations and transmission mechanisms

“…Thus, apart from poor parenting or concurrent socioemotional risks, children with higher BMI were more likely to be teased. A prior study of G2 men (not just those who became fathers) did not support an association between their experiences being teased in childhood and adult BMI or obesity status (Kerr & Gini, 2017). Thus, findings are consistent with studies linking obesity to bullying and weight-related teasing (Griffiths et al, 2006; Jansen et al, 2014; Puhl et al, 2013) but do not support that intergenerational stability in peer victimization occurs via G3 BMI.…”

Weight stigma as a psychosocial contributor to obesity.

“…Findings from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study ( N = 2,379) showed that girls who were called “too fat” by family members or peers had higher odds of obesity 9 years later, independent of initial weight status and adjusting for race and SES (Hunger & Tomiyama, 2014). While findings from Project EAT documented 15-year longitudinal associations between weight-teasing in adolescents and increased risk of obesity in adulthood for both males and females (Puhl et al, 2017), it may be that links between teasing/bullying and BMI are most pronounced for weight-specific rather than general (nonspecific) forms of victimization, as some evidence has found no associations between general teasing (not specific to weight) in adolescence with BMI over time for boys (Kerr & Gini, 2017; Wolke, Copeland, Angold, & Costello, 2013).…”

Body overweight discrimination: Contexts and situations / Discriminación por exceso de peso corporal: Contextos y situaciones

“…(Bautista, López y Franco, 2014;Bautista-Díaz et al, 2016;Chu et al, 2019;Contreras-Valdez, Hernández-Guzmán y Freyre, 2016;Durso et al, 2012;Gariepy, Nitka y Schmitz, 2010;Godoy, 2014;Reyes, Betancur y Samaniego, 2015;Salazar, Castillo, Pastor, Tejada-Tayabas y Palos, 2016;Wit et al, 2010). Finalmente, en la dimensión sociocultural, la estigmatización de que es objeto la obesidad y la discriminación que se ejerce sobre quien la presenta, pueden potenciar las consecuencias de las otras dos dimensiones (Heijens, Janssens y Streukens, 2011;Kerr y Gini, 2017;Puhl, 2009;Puhl y DePierre, 2012;Puhl y Heuer, 2010).…”