Teasing 'fuels unhealthy dieting'

Boys seem particularly vulnerable to teasing

Children teased about their weight may resort to unhealthy methods in a bid to stop the taunts, research suggests.

The University of Minnesota found children who had been teased were more likely to try fasting, skipping meals, vomiting or using laxatives.

The children were also more likely to binge eat - a problem linked to depression.

The researchers say their work, published in the journal Pediatrics, shows teasing has a profound impact.

Researcher Dr Dianne Neumark-Sztainer said: "People need to be aware of the consequences of weight teasing.

Many young people have no idea how serious the impact of bullying and teasing can be Steve Bloomfield

"They should recognize that 'maybe what I'm saying is hurtful'."

The study included more than 2,500 children who were surveyed twice, five years apart.

At the initial survey, 23% of girls and 21% of boys said they had been teased about their weight "at least a few times a year".

Impact on boys

Among girls, those who were teased were 80% more likely to report frequent dieting five years later.

However, it was the boys were likely to turn to unhealthy methods of losing weight.

The researchers suggest that teasing may have a greater impact on boys because they are not used to facing a negative reaction to their weight.

Girls, in comparison, are constantly bombarded with a variety of media messages and images hammering home the need to stay slim.

Dr Neumark-Sztainer said: "The bottom line is that weight teasing predicts negative outcomes."

Steve Bloomfield, of the Eating Disorders Association, said: "Many young people have no idea how serious the impact of bullying and teasing can be.

"The great danger is that in starting an inappropriate diet a child may develop an eating disorder which has serious, or even fatal medical consequences."

Dr Andrew Hill, an expert in obesity and eating disorders at Leeds University, agreed.

He said the development of an eating disorder was often not just about an obsession with dieting and weight, but linked to hurt caused by teasing and peer rejection.