Family sources of weight teasing and associations with adolescents’ unhealthy eating behaviors, weight bias internalization, and body appreciation
Family-based weight teasing is a common and harmful experience among adolescents. However, most research treats the family as a unitary source, with little examination of how weight stigma manifests from different family members. This study examined associations between weight teasing from 11 types of family members with adolescents’ weight bias internalization (WBI), body appreciation, binge eating with loss of control (BE-LOC) and overeating, and unhealthy weight control behaviors.
A national sample of 1,073 U.S. adolescents (ages 10–17) completed online questionnaires. Hierarchical linear and logistic regressions assessed the incremental predictive value of weight teasing from parents, stepparents, siblings, and extended family, controlling for sociodemographic covariates. Weight teasing from female relatives—mothers, sisters, stepmothers, aunts, and cousins—was consistently associated with negative adolescent outcomes, including elevated WBI, lower body appreciation, and increased disordered eating. Adolescents with normative body mass index (5th–84.9th percentile) reported the highest rates of family teasing. Teasing from male relatives (e.g., fathers, brothers, grandparents) showed weaker or inconsistent associations.
Full Citation: Wu, R., Puhl, R.M., Lessard, L., Cardel, M., Foster, G.D. (2026). Family sources of weight teasing and associations with adolescents’ unhealthy eating behaviors, weight bias internalization, and body appreciation. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsag030