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Pressure to be thin contributes to weight gain in adolescents
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Adolescents with overweight or obesity who report pressure to be thin from parents and friends are more likely to increase their BMI and fat mass compared with adolescents who are lean, study data show.
Lauren B. Shomaker, PhD, assistant professor of human development and family studies at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and colleagues evaluated 196 healthy adolescents (mean age, 15 years; 65% girls) with varying weights (mean BMI, 25 kg/m2) to determine whether pressure to be thin is associated with fat and weight gain. Follow-up was conducted for 1 year.
Pressure to be thin was reported by participants and their mothers through a questionnaire at baseline. BMI was calculated and fat mass was assessed by air displacement plethysmography at baseline and follow-up.
At baseline, most participants were lean (61%), followed by obese (24%) and overweight (15%). Compared with participants who were lean at baseline, participants with overweight or obesity reported more pressure to be thin from their mothers (P < .001), fathers (P < .01) and same-sex friends (P < .01). Similarly, mothers of participants with overweight or obesity reported giving more pressure compared with mothers of participants who were lean (P < .001).
BMI gains were positively associated with participant-reported pressure from mothers (P = .03), fathers (P = .02) and same-sex friends (P = .01) after adjustment for baseline BMI, puberty, sex, age, race/ethnicity, growth in height and time to follow-up. Similarly, gains in fat mass were positively associated with participant-reported pressure from mothers (P = .004), fathers (P = .02) and same-sex friends (P = .04) after adjustment for baseline fat mass, puberty, sex, age, race/ethnicity, growth in height and time to follow-up.
“Parents and peers pressuring of adolescents to be thin relates to them gaining more weight and body fat, especially among heavier adolescents,” Shomaker told Endocrine Today. “We need to exercise a lot of sensitivity in talking to adolescents with overweight and obesity about their weight. We need to determine how families and health care providers can discuss weight concerns with adolescents to most effectively promote healthy weight maintenance or weight loss.” – by Amber Cox
For more information:
Lauren B. Shomaker , PhD, can be reached at Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University, 303 Behavioral Sciences Building, 410 Pitkin Street, Fort Collins, CO 80523; email: lauren.shomaker@colostate.edu.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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