We already knew that discrimination had an impact on health: thus, according to a study conducted in December 2016, this form of harassment would promote high blood pressure, anxiety and certain mood disorders.
This time, researchers at the University of Connecticut (in the United States) looked at the impact of teasing on the weight of adolescents. To do this, the scientists followed 1,800 volunteers aged 15 until their thirtieth birthday. Verdict? People who were criticized and teased about their weight during their teenage years were on average twice as likely to be obese as adults.
Teasing promotes unsafe eating behaviors
According to this work, published in the specialist journal Preventive Medecine, adolescents who were teased and / or criticized about their figure were also more likely to adopt dangerous eating behaviors (restrictive slimming diets, for example ), to be victims of sweet cravings, to snack under stress … In addition, their self-esteem was also lower than average. Unsurprisingly, it is especially young women who are concerned.
In France, 6.5 million people suffer from obesity – or 14.5% of the population. Overweight, meanwhile, affects about 1 in 2 French people: 41% of men and 25.3% of women are affected. Since 1980, the figures are on the rise: at the time, obesity concerned “only” 6.1% of adults. Between 1997 and 2012, the prevalence of this pathology increased by 76% *.
* Source: Weekly epidemiological bulletin, October 2016.
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