Abstract
Recent Findings
Depressive symptoms may be a psychological correlate of weight-based teasing from peers and/or family. However, it is unclear whether the association of weight-based teasing with depressive symptoms differs by time (short term vs. long term), sex (males vs. females), or source (family vs. peers).
Purpose
The purpose of this systematic review was to (1) examine whether the frequency of weight-based teasing differs according to sex and source and; (2) examine whether the association of weight-based teasing with depressive symptoms varies according to time, sex, and source.
Methods
On February 16, 2018, a combination of keywords within three concepts, (i) children and adults, (ii) weight-based teasing source, and (iii) mental health outcomes, were searched in four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science) for relevant articles. Cross-sectional and longitudinal original research articles were included, and studies were excluded if the relationship between weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms was not explicitly measured.
Results
The search yielded 3572 articles, and nineteen studies were included in the final analysis. Experiences of weight-based teasing occurred significantly more among girls than boys. Weight-based teasing was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in both short and long term. Weight-based teasing exhibited a greater association with depressive symptoms in girls vs. boys and when it came from multiple sources than from either source alone. However, it remains uncertain whether one source of teasing is more common than the other, since only two studies found peers to be a more common source of weight-based teasing compared to family.
Summary
Weight-based teasing from peers and family is associated with depressive symptoms, and girls are more psychologically vulnerable than boys. Interventions are required to reduce weight-based teasing and its harmful psychological effects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance
Shapiro JP, Baumeister RF, Kessler JW. A three-component model of children's teasing: aggression, humor, and ambiguity. J Soc Clin Psychol. 1991;10(4):459–72.
Land D. Teasing apart secondary students' conceptualizations of peer teasing, bullying and sexual harassment. Sch Psychol Int. 2003;24(2):147–65.
Puhl RM, Heuer CA. The stigma of obesity: a review and update. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md). 2009;17(5):941–64.
Haines J, Neumark-Sztainer D, Hannan PJ, van den Berg P, Eisenberg ME. Longitudinal and secular trends in weight-related teasing during adolescence. Obesity. 2008;16:S18–23.
Keery H, Boutelle K, van den Berg P, Thompson JK. The impact of appearance-related teasing by family members. J Adolesc Health. 2005;37(2):120–7.
MacDonald DE, Dimitropoulos G, Royal S, Polanco A, Dionne MM. The family fat talk questionnaire: development and psychometric properties of a measure of fat talk behaviors within the family context. Body Image. 2015;12:44–52.
McCormack LA, Laska MN, Gray C, Veblen-Mortenson S, Barr-Anderson D, Story M. Weight-related teasing in a racially diverse sample of sixth-grade children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;111(3):431–6.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Falkner N, Story M, Perry C, Hannan PJ, Mulert S. Weight-teasing among adolescents: correlations with weight status and disordered eating behaviors. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;26.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Bauer KW, Friend S, Hannan PJ, Story M, Berge JM. Family weight talk and dieting: how much do they matter for body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls? J Adolesc Health. 2010;47(3):270–6.
Goldfield G, Moore C, Henderson K, Buchholz A, Obeid N, Flament M. The relation between weight-based teasing and psychological adjustment in adolescents. Paediatr Child Health. 2010;15(5):283–8.
Smith M, Shubin J, Segal J. Depression Symptoms and Warning Signs HelpGuide.org International 2018 Available from: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-symptoms-and-warning-signs.htm.
Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, Nelson CB, Hughes M, Eshleman S, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994;51(1):8–19.
Sinyor M, Rezmovitz J, Zaretsky A. Screen all for depression. BMJ (Clin Res Ed). 2016;352:i1617.
Costello EJ, Mustillo S, Erkanli A, Keeler G, Angold A. Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003;60(8):837–44.
Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):593–602.
Organization WH. Depression 2018 [updated March 22nd 2018 Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression.
Mrazek DA, Hornberger JC, Altar CA, Degtiar I. A review of the clinical, economic, and societal burden of treatment-resistant depression: 1996–2013. Psychiatr Serv. 2014;65(8):977–87.
Greden JF. The burden of disease for treatment-resistant depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62(Suppl 16):26–31.
Organization WH. The Global Burden of Disease: 2004 Update. 2004.
Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M. Associations of weight-based teasing and emotional well-being among adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157(8):733–8.
• Goldschmidt AB, Wall M, Choo T-HJ, Becker C, Neumark-Sztainer D. Shared risk factors for mood-, eating-, and weight-related health outcomes. Health Psychology. 2016;35(3):245–52 One of the few longitudinal studies to examine the long-term associations between weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms.
Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D, Haines J, Wall M. Weight-teasing and emotional well-being in adolescents: longitudinal findings from project EAT. J Adolesc Health. 2006;38(6):675–83.
Puhl RM, Latner JD. Stigma, obesity, and the health of the nation's children. Psychol Bull. 2007;133(4):557–80.
Puhl RM, Brownell KD. Confronting and coping with weight stigma: an investigation of overweight and obese adults. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md). 2006;14(10):1802–15.
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0 ed: The Cochrane Collaboration 2011 March 2011.
Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gotzsche PC, Ioannidis JP, et al. The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. PLoS Med. 2009;6(7):e1000100.
Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/study-quality-assessment-tools.
Bang KS, Chae SM, Hyun MS, Nam HK, Kim JS, Park KH. The mediating effects of perceived parental teasing on relations of body mass index to depression and self-perception of physical appearance and global self-worth in children. J Adv Nurs. 2012;68(12):2646–53.
Bucchianeri MM, Eisenberg ME, Wall MM, Piran N, Neumark-Sztainer D. Multiple types of harassment: associations with emotional well-being and unhealthy behaviors in adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2014;54(6):724–9.
Fulkerson JA, Strauss J, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Boutelle K. Correlates of psychosocial well-being among overweight adolescents: the role of the family. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2007;75(1):181–6.
Greenleaf C, Petrie TA, Martin SB. Relationship of weight-based teasing and adolescents' psychological well-being and physical health. J Sch Health. 2014;84(1):49–55.
Greenleaf C, Petrie TA, Martin SB. Exploring weight-related teasing and depression among overweight and obese adolescents. Eur Rev Appl Psychol-Rev Eur Psychol Appl. 2017;67(3):147–53.
Lampard AM, MacLehose RF, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D, Davison KK. Weight-related teasing in the school environment: associations with psychosocial health and weight control practices among adolescent boys and girls. J Youth Adolesc. 2014;43(10):1770–80.
Libbey HP, Story MT, Neumark-Sztainer DR, Boutelle KN. Teasing, disordered eating behaviors, and psychological morbidities among overweight adolescents. Obesity. 2008;16:S24–S9.
Madowitz J, Knatz S, Maginot T, Crow SJ, Boutelle KN. Teasing, depression and unhealthy weight control behaviour in obese children. Pediatr Obes. 2012;7(6):446–52.
Mustillo SA, Budd K, Hendrix K. Obesity, labeling, and psychological distress in late-childhood and adolescent black and white girls: the distal effects of stigma. Soc Psychol Q. 2013;76(3):268–89.
Phares V, Steinberg AR, Thompson JK. Gender differences in peer and parental influences: body image disturbance, self-worth, and psychological functioning in preadolescent children. J Youth Adolesc. 2004;33(5):421–9.
Porter JS, Stern M, Mazzeo SE, Evans RK, Laver J. Relations among teasing, body satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression in treatment-seeking obese African American adolescents. J Black Psychol. 2013;39(4):375–95.
Quick V, Eisenberg ME, Bucchianeri MM, Neumark-Sztainer D. Prospective predictors of body dissatisfaction in young adults: 10-year longitudinal findings. Emerg Adulthood. 2013;1(4):271–82.
Quinlan NP, Hoy MB, Costanzo PR. Sticks and stones: the effects of teasing on psychosocial functioning in an overweight treatment-seeking sample. Soc Dev. 2009;18(4):978–1001.
Young-Hyman D, Tanofsky-Kraff M, Yanovski SZ, Keil M, Cohen ML, Peyrot M, et al. Psychological status and weight-related distress in overweight or at-risk-for-overweight children. Obesity. 2006;14(12):2249–58.
Ryan R, Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group. Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group: data synthesis and analysis. http://cccrg.cochrane.org2013.
Puhl RM, Luedicke J, Heuer C. Weight-based victimization toward overweight adolescents: observations and reactions of peers. J Schol Health. 2011;81.
• Puhl RM, Latner JD, O'Brien K, Luedicke J, Forhan M, Danielsdottir S. Cross-national perspectives about weight-based bullying in youth: nature, extent and remedies. Pediatr Obes. 2016;11(4):241–50 A study which highlights that weight-based teasing is one of the most common forms of teasing reported by adolescents, emphasizing its prevalence.
Bradshaw CP, Waasdorp TE, O'Brennan LM, Gulemetova M. Teachers' and education support professionals' perspectives on bullying and prevention: findings from a National Education Association Study. Sch Psychol Rev. 2013;42(3):280–97.
Taylor AL. Perceived parental gender bias and youth sport withdrawal. ProQuest Information & Learning: US; 2010.
Hazen E, Schlozman S, Beresin E. Adolescent psychological development: a review. Pediatr Rev. 2008;29(5):161–7 quiz 8.
Markey CN. Invited commentary: why body image is important to adolescent development. J Youth Adolesc. 2010;39(12):1387–91.
Krayer A, Ingledew DK, Iphofen R. Social comparison and body image in adolescence: a grounded theory approach. Health Educ Res. 2008;23(5):892–903.
Hayden-Wade HA, Stein RI, Ghaderi A, Saelens BE, Zabinski MF, Wilfley DE. Prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of teasing experiences among overweight children vs. non-overweight peers. Obes Res. 2005;13(8):1381–92.
Nemiary D, Shim R, Mattox G, Holden K. The relationship between obesity and depression among adolescents. Psychiatr Ann. 2012;42(8):305–8.
van den Berg P, Neumark-Sztainer D, Eisenberg ME, Haines J. Racial/ethnic differences in weight-related teasing in adolescents. Obes (Silver Spring). 2008;16(Suppl 2):S3–10.
Puhl RM, Luedicke J. Weight-based victimization among adolescents in the school setting: emotional reactions and coping behaviors. J Youth Adolesc. 2012;41(1):27–40.
Buote VM, Wilson AE, Strahan EJ, Gazzola SB, Papps F. Setting the bar: divergent sociocultural norms for women's and men's ideal appearance in real-world contexts. Body Image. 2011;8(4):322–34.
Lawler M, Nixon E. Body dissatisfaction among adolescent boys and girls: the effects of body mass, peer appearance culture and internalization of appearance ideals. J Youth Adolesc. 2011;40(1):59–71.
Alberga AS, Sigal RJ, Goldfield G, Prud' homme D, Kenny GP. Overweight and obese teenagers: why is adolescence a critical period? Pediatr Obes. 2012;7(4):261–73.
Thompson JK, Coovert MD, Richards KJ, Johnson S, Cattarin J. Development of body image, eating disturbance, and general psychological functioning in female adolescents: covariance structure modeling and longitudinal investigations. Int J Eat Disord. 1995;18(3):221–36.
Attie I, Brooks-Gunn J. Development of eating problems in adolescent girls: a longitudinal study. Dev Psychol. 1989;25(1):70–9.
Hebl MR, King EB, Perkins A. Ethnic differences in the stigma of obesity: identification and engagement with a thin ideal. J Exp Soc Psychol. 2009;45(6):1165–72.
Frisco ML, Houle JN, Martin MA. Adolescent weight and depressive symptoms: for whom is weight a burden? 2009;90(4):1019–38.
Bearman SK, Presnell K, Martinez E, Stice E. The skinny on body dissatisfaction: a longitudinal study of adolescent girls and boys. J Youth Adolesc. 2006;35(2):217–29.
McCreary DR, Sasse DK. An exploration of the drive for muscularity in adolescent boys and girls. J Am Coll Heal. 2000;48(6):297–304.
Ricciardelli LA, McCabe MP. Pursuit of muscularity among adolescents. The muscular ideal: psychological, social, and medical perspectives. Washington: American Psychological Association; 2007. p. 199–216.
Berndt TJ. Developmental changes in conformity to peers and parents. Dev Psychol. 1979;15(6):608.
Lefkowitz ES, Kahlbaugh PE, Sigman MD. Turn-taking in mother-adolescent conversations about sexuality and conflict. Youth Adolesc. 1996;25(3):307–21.
Steinberg L, Monahan KC. Age differences in resistance to peer influence. Dev Psychol. 2007;43(6):1531–43.
Stradmeijer M, Bosch J, Koops W, Seidell J. Family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in overweight youngsters. Int J Eat Disord. 2000;27(1):110–4.
Wertheim EH, Martin G, Prior M, Sanson A, Smart D. Parent influences in the transmission of eating and weight related values and behaviors. Eat Disord. 2002;10(4):321–34.
Pearl RL, Puhl RM. Weight bias internalization and health: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2018;19(8):1141–63.
Durso LE, Latner JD. Understanding self-directed stigma: development of the weight bias internalization scale. Obesity. 2008;16:80–6.
Hilbert A, Baldofski S, Zenger M, Löwe B, Kersting A, Braehler E. Weight bias internalization scale: psychometric properties and population norms. PLOS One. 2014;9(1):e86303-e.
• Zuba A, Warschburger P. The role of weight teasing and weight bias internalization in psychological functioning: a prospective study among school-aged children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;26(10):1245–55 One of the few studies to explore how weight bias internalization influences the relationship between weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms among children.
Roberto CASR, Bush J, Pearl R, Puhl RM, Schvey NA, Dovidio JF. Clinical correlates of the weight bias internalization scale in a sample of obese adolescents seeking bariatric surgery. Obesity. 2012;20(3):533–9.
Scvhey NA RC, White MA. Clinical correlates of the weight bias internalization scale in overweight adults with binge and purge behaviours. Adv Eat Disord. 2013.
Roberto CA, Sysko R, Bush J, Pearl R, Puhl RM, Schvey NA, et al. Clinical correlates of the weight bias internalization scale in a sample of obese adolescents seeking bariatric surgery. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md). 2012;20(3):533–9.
Himmelstein MS, Puhl RM. Weight-based victimization from friends and family: implications for how adolescents cope with weight stigma. Pediatr Obes. 2019;14(1).
Connolly J, Craig W, Goldberg A, Pepler D. Mixed-gender groups, dating, and romantic relationships in early adolescence. J Res Adolesc. 2004;14(2):185–207.
Furman W, Shaffer L. The role of romantic relationships in adolescent development. Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers; 2003. p. 3–22.
Ricciardelli LA, McCabe MP. Children's body image concerns and eating disturbance: a review of the literature. Clin Psychol Rev. 2001;21(3):325–44.
Valois DD, Davis CG, Buchholz A, Obeid N, Henderson K, Flament M, et al. Effects of weight teasing and gender on body esteem in youth: a longitudinal analysis from the REAL study. Body Image. 2019;29:65–73.
Puhl RM, Himmelstein MS, Watson RJ. Weight-based victimization among sexual and gender minority adolescents: Findings from a diverse national sample. Pediatr Obes. 2019;e12514.
Roth DA, Coles ME, Heimberg RG. The relationship between memories for childhood teasing and anxiety and depression in adulthood. J Anxiety Disord. 2002;16(2):149–64.
Cattarin JA, Thompson JK. A three-year longitudinal study of body image, eating disturbance, and general psychological functioning in adolescent females. Eat Disord. 1994;2(2):114–25.
Stice E, Whitenton K. Risk factors for body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls: a longitudinal investigation. Dev Psychol. 2002;38(5):669–78.
Ttofi MM, Farrington DP. Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: a systematic and meta-analytic review. J Exp Criminol. 2011;7(1):27–56.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge our research and subject librarian Katharine Hall for her assistance with the formulation of our search strategy as well as database searching.
Funding
Erica Szwimer recognizes the Jewish Community Foundation as well as an internal award from the Department of Health, Kinesiology & Applied Physiology, Faculty of Arts & Science at Concordia University, Montreal. Angela S. Alberga gratefully acknowledges Les Fonds de Recherche du Québec- Santé for her Chercheur Boursier Junior 1 Award.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Psychological Issues
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Szwimer, E., Mougharbel, F., Goldfield, G.S. et al. The Association Between Weight-Based Teasing from Peers and Family in Childhood and Depressive Symptoms in Childhood and Adulthood: A Systematic Review. Curr Obes Rep 9, 15–29 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-020-00367-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-020-00367-0