Overweight Teens Cite Coaches and Parents as Source of Bullying

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Parents, you may want to tone down that “constructive criticism” you’re giving your teen about his/her weight. A new survey reveals that overweight teens are often teased by adults they trust.

Although peers and friends accounted for the primary sources of teasing and bullying, high percentages of teens also reported being teased and bullied about their weight by physical education teachers/sports coaches, 42 percent; parents, 37 percent; and classroom teachers, 27 percent.

“While our findings suggest that teasing and bullying may be inevitable for the heaviest youth, it is striking that even formerly overweight youth who have lost weight and whose body weight is now considered healthy may still be vulnerable to weight-based victimization,” says lead author Rebecca Puhl, director of research at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. “It’s also concerning that over a third of adolescents reported weight-based victimization from parents,” Puhl adds. “These findings highlight the need for parental education so that parents can use more sensitive and supportive strategies when talking about weight-related health with their child.”

Read the full details of the survey here: https://www.futurity.org/top-stories/overweight-teens-bullied-by-coaches-parents/

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