The longitudinal relationship between family and peer teasing in young adulthood and later unhealthy weight control behaviors: The mediating role of body image

Abstract

Objective Sociocultural theories hold that family and peer weight‐related teasing increases the risk for unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs) by negatively impacting body image. Although much cross‐sectional support exists for these pathways, longitudinal data are lacking. This study tested the longitudinal relationships among peer and family teasing (occurrence and perceived impact) in early adolescence, body satisfaction in late adolescence, and UWCBs in young adulthood among a racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population. Method Data were drawn from three waves of Project EAT over a 15‐year period (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults), and included responses from 1,902 young adults (57% female). Results Among female participants, a mediated indirect pathway emerged with family weight‐related teasing predicting increased engagement in UWCBs in early adulthood via poorer body image in late adolescence. In contrast, peer teasing did not predict body image or UWCBs. Among boys, the mediated indirect pathways were not significant. However, poor body image in late adolescent males predicted higher likelihood of engaging in UCWBs in early adulthood. Discussion These findings support the long‐term impact of family weight‐related teasing on greater risk for UWCBs among girls and young women, and poor body image as a mechanism accounting for this relationship. Moreover, the results highlight the poor body image among adolescent boys as a factor for increased risk of engaging in UWCBs in early adulthood. Pending replication in current cohorts, health promotion and prevention involving family members of early adolescents that address family weight teasing and body image are needed.

Risk of eating disorders in a representative sample of Italian adolescents: prevalence and association with self-reported interpersonal factors

“…Moving forward in the characterization of high-risk conditions for EDs, it has been reported that adolescents often do not have a defined image or structured "behavior model", and their cognitions and activities are, therefore, influenced by a larger number of environmental factors, as compared to adults [44]. Indeed, the present study confirmed that a perceived low quality of family relationships may be associated with altered eating and body weight attitudes [15][16][17]. Conversely, despite a different distribution among groups, worse peer relationships did not qualify as a risk factor for high SCOFF scores in the multivariable model, and bad relationships even proved to be protective for girls.…”

“…In fact, premorbid social difficulties in EDs include submissiveness and proneness to dysfunctional social comparison [22]. Moreover, experiencing family and peer teasing in early adolescence is associated with the development of dysfunctional weight control tied to body image dissatisfaction [17]. To conclude, the quality of early sexual experiences has already been reported to be interconnected with EDs psychopathology [23,24], early sexual activity being associated with bulimic-type pathology in middle adolescence [25].…”

“…Regarding interpersonal and psychological factors, the development of ED symptoms may be related to difficulties in family interactions [15][16][17]-possibly involving the widely described role of dysfunctional attachment patterns [18]-but also to psychological distress [19], and relationships with peers [17,20,21]. More in details, the latter were found to influence weight-related behavior [20], and bullying victimization was associated with weight and body image concerns among adolescents [21].…”

The five tenets of family-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders

“…Eating disorders are complex illnesses, with genetic, sociocultural, personality/temperamental, and metabolic factors involved in their development [ 9 , 10 ]. While family factors, such as weight-related teasing or maternal dieting, may increase the chances of developing unhealthy weight control behaviors or restrictive eating [ 11 , 12 ] in those individuals who are vulnerable to developing an ED, the field has decisively moved away from blaming families for causing EDs, as there is no research to demonstrate that this is true [ 13 ]. Although there is evidence that families of patients with an ED report worse family functioning than healthy controls [ 14 ], this could very well be because of the negative impact of the ED on the family [ 15 ].…”

Examination of the Relationship Between Social Appearance Anxiety and Communication Skills of Faculty of Sport Sciences Students

“…• Teasing and bullying: People who are bullied about appearance and/or weight, regardless of actual body type, have an increased risk of developing body dissatisfaction (6).…”