Weight-based bullying increases teens’ risk of substance use and mental health struggles, especially among overweight girls, highlighting the need for anti-bullying efforts and supportive community programs.
WASHINGTON – Weight-based bullying increases the likelihood that teenagers will turn to drinking, smoking, or marijuana use compared to their non-overweight peers, according to an American Psychological Association study. This research, which tracked adolescents over time, found a strong connection between teens facing harassment due to their appearance and their involvement in using substances. The study showed that overweight teenage girls faced the highest risks. This group may struggle more with harmful effects on both their mental and physical health.
“Bullying related to weight is a very common type of stigma-based harassment and leads to many harmful effects on teens,” said Melanie Klinck BA, a clinical research assistant at the University of Connecticut who headed the study. “Pairing harassment about appearance with how teens naturally feel self-conscious about their bodies can make them more vulnerable and more likely to use substances to cope.”
These findings reveal larger social problems tied to the heavy focus on female beauty standards and the harm they can cause, says Christine McCauley Ohannessian, PhD. Ohannessian, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the director of the Center for Behavioral Health at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center co-authored the study.
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“Schools and communities need to focus on tackling appearance-based teasing through their anti-bullying rules and substance abuse prevention efforts,” she said. “Parents have an important part to play in dealing with this problem. Studies show troubling evidence that many impactful cases of weight-based bullying come from family members. This highlights why families must have thoughtful conversations about concerns related to weight and being seen as overweight.”
Researchers at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center focused their study on adolescent medicine and gathered data from 1,344 middle school students aged 11 to 14. These students came from five public schools located in the Hartford, Connecticut area. They answered questions about facing verbal bullying linked to their weight, body shape, or eating habits during the last six months. The study revealed that 55% of participants said they experienced bullying related to their weight. Overweight kids faced the highest rates, with 76% of overweight girls and 71% of overweight boys reporting such incidents. In comparison, 52% of girls and 43% of boys who were not overweight reported similar bullying experiences.
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When asked about substance use habits, the data showed that being a frequent target of weight-related bullying had a link to higher alcohol use, binge drinking using marijuana, and smoking. A survey conducted six months later showed the link between weight-based bullying and both overall alcohol consumption and binge drinking was still present. These results were shared online in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
Research has revealed that males often show more substance use during their teenage years and early adulthood. However, females start using alcohol and drugs at younger ages compared to males. This difference might relate to social pressures on girls to meet impossible beauty standards. These pressures could harm their self-esteem and lead to eating disorders. They might also turn to substances to cope with bullying or to feel accepted by their peers, Klinck explained.
“The saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ gives a false impression and ignores how harmful verbal abuse and mental distress can be,” Klinck explained. “Weight stigma seems to be one of the most common and tolerated forms of bullying and discrimination in schools. Society as a whole needs to step up and deal with the damage this creates when it comes to young women’s health during their teenage years and their overall well-being.”
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This study highlights the need to address weight-based bullying and how it affects the health habits of teenagers. Schools and communities can help reduce the harmful effects of this kind of bullying on both physical and mental health by creating strong anti-bullying policies and offering mental health resources to help overweight teens. Future studies could look into what factors might protect against substance use in teens who are bullied as well as study how body mass index connects to experiences of bullying.
The results also point out the importance of creating programs to manage anxiety, depression, and other emotional issues linked to weight-based bullying. By building better peer relationships and cutting down on stigma-related bullying, teachers and healthcare workers may help lower the chances of teens turning to unhealthy habits like substance use.
Study Title: “Appearance-Related Teasing and Substance Use in Early Adolescents,” authored by Melanie Klinck BA, from the University of Connecticut; Anna Vannucci MS, and Tessa Fagle BA, from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and Christine McCauley Ohannessian PhD, affiliated with both Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and the University of Connecticut. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Shared online on February 10, 2020.
Source: American Psychological Association (Feb. 22, 2020). Weight-Based Bullying Linked to Increased Adolescent Alcohol, Marijuana Use. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/02/weight-based-bullying
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