A new study found out that girls who are often called "fat" at age 10 are more likely to become obese a decade later.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles led by assistant professor A. Janet Tomiyama surveyed 1,213 African American girls and 1,166 white girls from Northern California, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. More than half of them admitted that they were labeled "too fat" at age 10.
To find out if such labeling had a direct effect on their weight, researchers took the subjects' height and weight measurements, then followed up after nine years. They compared the body mass index (BMI) of the girls during their preteens to the measurements taken at age 19.
Data comparison revealed that those who were called fat were 1.66 times more likely to become obese. The more they were teased, the more overweight the girls became over the span of nine years. The results remained consistent after outside factors of weight, income and ethnic background were considered.
"Simply being labeled as too fat has a measurable effect almost a decade later. We nearly fell off our chairs when we discovered this," said Tomiyama in a university news release. "That means it's not just that heavier girls are called too fat and are still heavy years later; being labeled as too fat is creating an additional likelihood of being obese."
Researchers concluded that being labeled "too fat" led these girls to anticipate weight stigma, causing them too much stress. The subjects then resorted to overeating to lessen their worries of discrimination. Tomiyama recommended that these girls not focus on the "too fat" label, but rather start eating healthy and exercising.
"When people feel bad, they tend to eat more, not decide to diet or take a jog," Tomiyama said in a news release. "Making people feel bad about their weight could increase their levels of the hormone cortisol, which generally leads to weight gain."
This study was published in the April 28 issue of JAMA Pediatrics.
