Often, as eating disorder specialists we get asked WHY eating disorders surface. Parents, providers and those dealing with eating issues wonder what factors contribute to disordered eating. The answer remains complex. Eating disorders involve many different layers and variables. Genetics, trauma and life transitions have been studied and reported as contributors to disordered eating. An article just this week out of healthday.com, highlighted another factor to consider, especially in younger people dealing with disordered eating. Bullying.
Researchers stated that teasing individuals about extra pounds can be detrimental. As clinicians in the field we see the research catching up to our daily observations. For those of us who work with eating disorder recovery every day, we see first hand how bullying, a type of trauma, manifests as eating and body image issues.
This emerging research comes out of the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. There have been studies in the past that found that young people who were teased or made fun of because of their weight were found to have higher rates of social isolation, depression, self-harm and eating disorders. However, these earlier studies included only white people who were middle to high income status people. This limited data can only be so helpful in grasping a more full understanding of how bullying and eating disorders connect.
Study leader Laura Hooper, wanted to look at the association between weight stigma and eating disorders in an ethnically and racially diverse group. Laura looked at 1,5000 young people in the US in this long term study. She actually took data from a long term study (Dianne Neumark- Sztainer) looking at the overall health of young people and ran her own data on it; thanks for sharing! Researchers found a strong association between weight teasing and eating disorders in teens and young adults. Weight teasing during adolescence was associated with the start of dieting and higher rates of dieting and overeating eight years later.
Weight teasing and eating disorders were more common among young people of color and those from poorer families; and the connection was similar across all ethnic and racial groups. It’s important to note that this study is not saying that weight teasing always or certainly causes eating disorders. But, this statistically significant relationship is important and may be helpful especially for education and prevention efforts in schools and universities (and for parents). Also important, this study highlights that the assumptions that eating disorders affect only white affluent families is false.
Ideally, future policies will be made to address weight stigma specifically for communities and families of color. Anti- bullying movements have definitely picked up in recent years in schools but the COVID pandemic has impeded on school based support and interventions. We always ecourage parents, students and coaches to use their voice to let schools know if they feel more needs to be done. We also see efforts made by several advertising companies to include
individuals of color and various body shapes. As a society we must remember that there is room for all types of body shapes; just as you wouldn’t make fun of someone for their shoe size or eye color no one deserves to be judged, teased or bullied because of their body.
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