UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

Weight-based teasing is one of the most common forms of bullying that youth face. It most often comes from peers, but youth can also experience Weight Bullying from family members at home. These experiences can contribute to emotional and physical health problems for youth. But less is known about the long-term impact of Weight Bullying. A new study from researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut and the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota shows that weight-based teasing in adolescence predicts health consequences in adulthood, including obesity, unhealthy weight-control and eating behaviors, and poor body image.