race and identity. Black and Hispanic kids favored words like “thick” and “curvy.”
“A lot of adolescents face weight stigma,” Puhl adds. “They face teasing, stereotypes, victimization because of their body weight or size. And, in fact, some of that weight stigma happens in the home from parents.”
This can lead to emotional distress, increased depressive symptoms and lower body esteem. It can even encourage unhealthy eating behaviors and reduced physical activity because those are the settings where someone might feel stigmatized, Puhl notes.
“We know broadly from the stigma literature that when a person is stigmatized about their weight that this really can be very damaging to health,” she says.
At least half of the kids surveyed don’t want their parents talking about weight. They’re more willing to talk when they bring it up first or if their parents ask their permission to discuss it, Puhl says.
About 20% of U.S. children and teens are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This puts them at risk of serious health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.
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Lead by example
Puhl recommends parents shift the conversation to health rather than to body weight.
Even better than talking is modeling healthy behaviors and providing opportunities to eat healthy food at home. Go for walks and make dinner together as a family, she suggests.
“There can be so many ways to really engage in health behaviors that really improve