Do Parents or Siblings Engage in More Negative Weight-based Talk with Children and What Does It Sound Like? A Mixed-methods Study

Overview

Journal Body Image

Publisher Elsevier

Date 2016 May 30

PMID 27236475

Citations 19

Authors

Jerica M Berge

Carrie Hanson-Bradley

Allan Tate

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The current mixed-methods study examined the prevalence of negative weight-based talk across multiple family members (i.e., mother, father, older/younger brother, older/younger sister) and analyzed qualitative data to identify what negative weight-based talk sounds like in the home environment. Children (n=60; ages 9-12) and their families from low income and minority households participated in the study. Children reported the highest prevalence of negative weight-based talk from siblings. Among specific family members, children reported a higher prevalence of negative weight-based talk from mothers and older brothers. In households with younger brothers, children reported less negative weight-based talk compared to other household compositions. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated that mothers' negative weight-based talk focused on concerns about child health, whereas fathers' and siblings' negative weight-based talk focused on child appearance and included teasing. Results suggest that interventions targeting familial negative weight-based talk may need to be tailored to specific family members.

Citing Articles

Factors influencing health-related quality of life of children with overweight and obesity in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abdullah S, Victor Chee Wai H, Ishak Z, Hamzah S, Nur Zati Iwani A, Zin R Health Psychol Behav Med. 2024; 12(1):2413980.

PMID: 39430060 PMC: 11488170. DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2024.2413980.

Reported Intergenerational Transmission of Parent Weight Talk and Links with Child Health and Wellbeing.

Berge J, Hazzard V, Trofholz A, Hochgraf A, Zak-Hunter L, Miller L J Pediatr. 2024; 270:114012.

PMID: 38494088 PMC: 11176000. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114012.

Negative familial weight talk and weight bias internalization in a US sample of children and adolescents.

Rancano K, Puhl R, Skeer M, Eliasziw M, Must A Pediatr Obes. 2024; 19(5):e13108.

PMID: 38375755 PMC: 11006571. DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.13108.

Understanding Weight Talk in Racially/Ethnically Diverse Homes: A Qualitative Analysis With Parents.

Trofholz A, Hochgraf A, Tschida L, Berge J J Nutr Educ Behav. 2023; 55(10):721-733.

PMID: 37656096 PMC: 10591964. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.07.010.

Rethinking family-based obesity treatment.

Skelton J, Vitolins M, Pratt K, DeWitt L, Eagleton S, Brown C Clin Obes. 2023; 13(6):e12614.

PMID: 37532265 PMC: 11654627. DOI: 10.1111/cob.12614.

References

Carels R, Latner J . Weight stigma and eating behaviors. An introduction to the special issue. Appetite. 2016; 102:1-2. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.03.001. View

Sherwood N, Jeffery R, French S, Hannan P, Murray D . Predictors of weight gain in the Pound of Prevention study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000; 24(4):395-403. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801169. View

Schaefer M, Blodgett Salafia E . The connection of teasing by parents, siblings, and peers with girls' body dissatisfaction and boys' drive for muscularity: the role of social comparison as a mediator. Eat Behav. 2014; 15(4):599-608. DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.08.018. View

Taylor C, Bryson S, Celio Doyle A, Luce K, Cunning D, Abascal L . The adverse effect of negative comments about weight and shape from family and siblings on women at high risk for eating disorders. Pediatrics. 2006; 118(2):731-8. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2005-1806. View

Berge J, MacLehose R, Loth K, Eisenberg M, Fulkerson J, Neumark-Sztainer D . Parent-adolescent conversations about eating, physical activity and weight: prevalence across sociodemographic characteristics and associations with adolescent weight and weight-related behaviors. J Behav Med. 2014; 38(1):122-35. PMC: 4538951. DOI: 10.1007/s10865-014-9584-3. View

Eisenberg M, Neumark-Sztainer D, Haines J, Wall M . Weight-teasing and emotional well-being in adolescents: longitudinal findings from Project EAT. J Adolesc Health. 2006; 38(6):675-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.07.002. View

Jendrzyca A, Warschburger P . Weight stigma and eating behaviours in elementary school children: A prospective population-based study. Appetite. 2016; 102:51-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.005. View

Hayden-Wade H, Stein R, Ghaderi A, Saelens B, Zabinski M, Wilfley D . Prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of teasing experiences among overweight children vs. non-overweight peers. Obes Res. 2005; 13(8):1381-92. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2005.167. View

Kuczmarski R, Ogden C, Grummer-Strawn L, Flegal K, Guo S, Wei R . CDC growth charts: United States. Adv Data. 2001; (314):1-27. View

10.

Elo S, Kyngas H . The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs. 2008; 62(1):107-15. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x. View

11.

OBrien K, Latner J, Puhl R, Vartanian L, Giles C, Griva K . The relationship between weight stigma and eating behavior is explained by weight bias internalization and psychological distress. Appetite. 2016; 102:70-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.032. View

12.

Neumark-Sztainer D, Falkner N, Story M, Perry C, Hannan P, Mulert S . Weight-teasing among adolescents: correlations with weight status and disordered eating behaviors. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002; 26(1):123-31. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801853. View

13.

Eisenberg M, Berge J, Fulkerson J, Neumark-Sztainer D . Associations between hurtful weight-related comments by family and significant other and the development of disordered eating behaviors in young adults. J Behav Med. 2011; 35(5):500-8. PMC: 3337892. DOI: 10.1007/s10865-011-9378-9. View

14.

Berge J, Trofholz A, Fong S, Blue L, Neumark-Sztainer D . A qualitative analysis of parents' perceptions of weight talk and weight teasing in the home environments of diverse low-income children. Body Image. 2015; 15:8-15. PMC: 4643419. DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.04.006. View

15.

Madowitz J, Knatz S, Maginot T, Crow S, Boutelle K . Teasing, depression and unhealthy weight control behaviour in obese children. Pediatr Obes. 2012; 7(6):446-52. PMC: 4744833. DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00078.x. View

16.

Neumark-Sztainer D, Bauer K, Friend S, Hannan P, Story M, Berge J . Family weight talk and dieting: how much do they matter for body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls?. J Adolesc Health. 2010; 47(3):270-6. PMC: 2921129. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.02.001. View

17.

Jeffery R, French S . Preventing weight gain in adults: the pound of prevention study. Am J Public Health. 1999; 89(5):747-51. PMC: 1508711. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.89.5.747. View

18.

McCormack L, Laska M, Gray C, Veblen-Mortenson S, Barr-Anderson D, Story M . Weight-related teasing in a racially diverse sample of sixth-grade children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011; 111(3):431-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.11.021. View

19.

Libbey H, Story M, Neumark-Sztainer D, Boutelle K . Teasing, disordered eating behaviors, and psychological morbidities among overweight adolescents. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008; 16 Suppl 2:S24-9. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2008.455. View

20.

Kandel D, Davies M . Epidemiology of depressive mood in adolescents: an empirical study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1982; 39(10):1205-12. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1982.04290100065011. View