NIH Study Suggests Mocking Weight for Increased Weight Gain in Children



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WHAT:

According to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, youth who said they were teased or ridiculed about their weight increased their body weight by 33% more each year, compared to a similar group that had not been teased. The results seem to contradict the belief that such teasing could motivate young people to change their behavior and try to lose weight. The study was conducted by Natasha A. Schvey, Ph.D., of the Uniformed Health Services University of Bethesda, Maryland, and her colleagues at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver of the NIH and the National Institute of Diabetes. Digestive and renal diseases. It appears in Pediatric obesity.

The study involved 110 young people aged 11.8 years on average at the time of enrollment. Participants were either overweight (defined as a body mbad index above the 85th percentile) at the start of the study, or they had two parents who were overweight or obese. At the time of registration, they completed a six-point questionnaire indicating whether their weight had been teased. They then participated in annual follow-up visits over the next 15 years.

Researchers found that young people who experienced a lot of teasing earned an average of .20 kg (0.44 lb) a year more than those who did not. The authors hypothesize that stigma badociated with weight could have made young people more likely to adopt unhealthy behaviors, such as excessive consumption of food and avoid exercise. Another possible explanation is that the stress caused by teasing could stimulate the release of the hormone cortisol, which could lead to weight gain.

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WHO:

Jack A Yanovski, MD, of NICHD's section on growth and obesity, is available for comment.

ARTICLE:

Schvey, NA. Weight-based teasing is badociated with BMI and body fat gain in children and adolescents at risk for obesity: a longitudinal study. Pediatric obesity. 2019.

About the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of Eunice Kennedy Shriver: The NICHD conducts and supports research in the United States and around the world on the development of the fetus, infant, and child. maternal, child and family health; reproductive biology and population problems; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the NICHD website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): The NIH, the country's medical research agency, has 27 institutes and centers and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the lead federal agency that leads and supports basic, clinical and translational medical research. She studies causes, treatments and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information on NIH and its programs, visit http: // www.nih.government.

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