The Influence of Bullying on Unhealthy Weight Control Practices among Overweight Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity rates continue to rise in the United States, specifically among adolescents. While there are many programs aimed at teaching today's youth about maintaining a healthy weight, no programs exist that specifically address risk factors for anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa among overweight or obese adolescents. Rather, these programs primarily focus on individuals who are underweight, or below a normal weight range. Another highly prevalent issue impacting U.S. adolescents involves bullying. Bullying has been linked with a number of negative health outcomes, including low self-esteem, poor psychological health and judgment. Methodology: The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between bullying and unhealthy weight control practices among overweight and obese adolescents. This secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), which represents on-going research by U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 2011 YRBS questionnaire was administered to a nationally representative high school students living throughout the United States. Results: A statistically significant association (p<.001) was found between being bullied and the practice of unhealthy weight controlling behaviors by means of fasting, purging, or using diet pills/powders/liquids among a sample of overweight/obese adolescents, when controlling for age, race/ethnicity and gender. Conclusion: Insight gained from this study may assist health education practitioners develop effective weight loss methods, while also addressing unhealthy weight controlling practices, specifically aimed at overweight and obese adolescents.