Weight Bullying Among LGBTQ Youth Association With Increased Frequency of Binge Eating, Unhealthy Weight Control, and Poor Weight-Related Health
Approximately 20% of U.S. adolescents have obesity, and sexual minority females are even more likely to have higher body weight compared to their heterosexual peers, making them particularly vulnerable to weight-based teasing and bullying. While recent evidence suggests that many LGBTQ youth report experiencing Weight Bullying, this is the first study to examine how weight bullying affects eating behaviors, dieting, and weight-related health among this population.
The study, published in Appetite, is the first large-scale evidence of links between Weight Bullying, unhealthy eating behaviors, and weight-related health in LGBTQ youth, with findings revealing that LGBTQ youth who are teased or bullied about their body weight are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, such as binge eating, unhealthy weight control, and dieting, and to have poor weightrelated health,