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The Emotional Toll of Being an Overweight Teen

By Rose Bae

Adolescence is difficult enough without the added emotional stress of being overweight. While many teens struggle with acne, developing early, growth spurts and voice fluctuations, teens with weight problems have been known to feed badly about themselves, thus leading to feelings of inadequacy and depression.

According to a recent study conducted by Yale University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, overweight teens experience unfair treatment from not only their peers, but also their teachers and even their parents. As a result, these teens are often:

• More likely to develop unhealthy eating habits and eating disorders
• Bullied, rejected and teased by their peers
• Prone to low self-esteem

Negative Body Image

Teens compare themselves to others constantly, whether regarding academic achievement, popularity or physical appearance. If they feel they are inadequate because they are overweight, the likelihood of developing a negative body image that could potentially lead to an eating disorder is extremely high.

Although anorexia and bulimia affect more females than males, these eating disorders still affect 2 percent of males. Males who have a negative body image because they are “husky” are twice as likely to make fun of others and spread rumors and lies. Also, overweight males have a slightly higher propensity toward being physically aggressive than those who are not.

Being overweight is difficult for both genders, but the statistics about negative body image in girls are shocking:

In 1970, the average dieting age for a girl was 14; by 1990, it dropped to age 8.
The “ideal” woman portrayed by models, Barbie dolls and actresses is a woman who is 5’5”, 100 pounds, and a size 5.
Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than nuclear war, cancer or losing their parents.
The average U.S. woman is 5’4” and weighs 140 pounds, whereas the average model is 5’11” and weighs 117 pounds.

Because society often equates goodness with weight, some overweight teens feel that they are not worthy of love from others. Often, they feel that they must attain an ideal weight in order to be loved. In many cases, even if they attain an ideal body weight, the lingering trauma of being made fun of by their peers continues to affect their self-worth later in life.

Ways to Encourage an Overweight Teen

If you are a parent of an overweight teen, remember to behave in ways that allow your teen to feel loved and cared about, regardless of their weight. Overweight teens need to know that they are not alone in their struggle, especially because the physical ramifications of carrying extra weight into adulthood are severe, often leading to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Here are some ways to help improve your teen’s sense of self-worth:

Offer praise and encouragement about their positive attributes and accomplishments.
Promote a positive attitude. Encourage their strengths and help them work on their weaknesses.
Be a role model of healthy self-esteem. Kids mimic how their parents treat themselves. Avoid saying things about yourself like “I’m so fat.” Instead, show that you like yourself for who you are, even if there may be room for improvement.
Make sure they feel loved, accepted and supported at home. Be generous with your affection and attention.

Adolescent Weight Loss Solutions

If your teen is overweight and you need help rebuilding their self-esteem, there are several effective and sustainable weight loss programs available. Because being overweight is a complex and multi-faceted issue that so many teens face, sometimes the best option is teen weight loss camp. Wellspring weight loss camps encourage sustainable behavior to maintain weight loss while also offering the tools teens need to cope with the emotional toll of being overweight.

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