| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 903031 | Body Image | 2011 | 8 Pages |
Weight teasing is common among adolescents, but less is known about the continuation of this experience during young adulthood. The present study uses survey data from a diverse sample of 2287 young adults, who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study of weight-related issues to examine hurtful weight comments by family members or a significant other. Among young adults, 35.9% of females and 22.8% of males reported receiving hurtful weight-related comments by family members, and 21.2% of females and 23.8% of males with a significant other had received hurtful weight-related comments from this source. Hispanic and Asian young adults and overweight/obese young adults were more likely to report receiving comments than those in other groups. Weight teasing during adolescence predicted hurtful weight-related comments in young adulthood, with some differences by gender. Findings suggest that hurtful weight talk continues into young adulthood and is predicted by earlier weight teasing experiences.
Research highlights▶ Weight-related comments continue to be a common occurrence in young adulthood. ▶ Hispanics and Asians were more likely to receive weight comments than Whites. ▶ Overweight young adults received comments more than those of normal BMI. ▶ Early weight-teasing predicted weight-related comments in young adulthood.
