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How to Talk to a Teen About Their Weight

Published: 2022-12-03 - Updated: 2023-01-03
Author: UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health - Contact: uconn.edu
Peer-Reviewed: Yes
Journal Reference: DOI Link to the Study Paper
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On This Page: Summary - Defining Obesity - Main Article - About/Author

Synopsis: Patient and family perspectives on terms for obesity - when it comes to talking about body weight with teens, what words should parents use. At least half of adolescents reported that they never want parents to use the terms "obese," "fat," "extremely obese," "plus-size," "big," "weight problem," "large," and "high BMI" to describe their weight. While study findings show several consistencies in adolescents' preferred weight terminology, there were also differences in preferences across sex, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and weight status.

Definition

Obesity

A weight higher than what is considered healthy for a given height is considered overweight or obese. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a screening tool for overweight and obesity. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can indicate high body fat. Height to weight proportionate refers to a person who is neither over nor underweight.

Main Digest

Patient and Family Perspectives on Terms for Obesity

When it comes to talking about body weight with teens, what words should parents use? A new study from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health offers insights about the terminology for the weight that adolescents most prefer, dislike, and have negative emotional reactions to when their parents raise the topic.

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Using a national online panel, researchers surveyed 1,936 parents and 2,032 adolescents. Parents were surveyed about what words they use to refer to their child's weight. Adolescents were asked about their emotional reactions to these words and their preferences for the terminology they want their parents to use to refer to their weight.

"Body weight is a sensitive topic for many youths, and the way that parents talk about it can have an emotional impact on their children," says Rebecca Puhl from the Rudd Center and lead author of the study. "Words matter and we need to understand how youth feel about the words parents use to describe their weight and what words they feel most comfortable with."

The researchers examined weight communication in racially and ethnically diverse mothers and fathers and adolescent girls and boys across various body sizes. Study findings published in the journal Pediatrics show that certain weight-related words lead to emotional distress in adolescents.

Article continues below image.
Illustration of a child and an adult with the words; Overweight kids become overweight adults.
Illustration of a child and an adult with the words; Overweight kids become overweight adults.
Continued...

Key findings include:

While study findings show several consistencies in adolescents' preferred weight terminology, there were also differences in preferences across sex, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and weight status.

"Our findings highlight the need to recognize diversity in adolescent preferences for weight terminology," says Puhl. "Parents can promote more supportive and less stigmatizing communication with their children by asking adolescents their preferred terms when discussing weight-related health."

This study was supported by a grant from WW International, Inc. Study co-authors include Leah Lessard of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut and Michelle Cardel and Gary Foster of WW International, Inc.

Attribution/Source(s):

This peer reviewed article relating to our Childhood Obesity section was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its likely interest to our disability community readers. Though the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article "How to Talk to a Teen About Their Weight" was originally written by UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, and published by Disabled-World.com on 2022-12-03 (Updated: 2023-01-03). Should you require further information or clarification, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health can be contacted at uconn.edu. Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

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Cite This Page (APA): UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health. (2022, December 3). How to Talk to a Teen About Their Weight. Disabled World. Retrieved September 22, 2023 from www.disabled-world.com/fitness/child-obesity/teens-weight.php

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