Teenagers who think they’re fat more likely to consider self-harm: study

By Stephen Beech

Teenagers who perceive themselves as overweight are three times more likely to consider self-harming, warns new research.

The heightened risk is present regardless of whether the youngster is medically overweight, say scientists.

Study lead author Professor Philip Baiden, of The University of Texas at Arlington, said: “What we found was that the perception of being overweight has a much stronger effect of suicidal ideation than the objective measure of weight.

“This finding ties neatly into recent calls to reconsider how accurate BMI is as a tool for diagnosing individuals as overweight or obese."

Baiden and his colleagues analyzed data from more than 39,000 teenagers, aged 14 to 18, obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Behaviour Risk Survey.

It considered factors including socio-economic status, family dynamics, academic pressures and adverse childhood experiences.

The pooled data from 2015 to 2021 included both self-reported data from teenagers as well as information obtained from caregivers and school records.

It allowed researchers to identify the relationship between weight perceptions and the increased likelihood of mental health issues.

Study co-author Associate Professor Catherine LaBrenz, also from the University of Texas at Arlington, said: “Even after adjusting for established suicidal ideation risk factors such as feelings of hopelessness, bullying, cyberbullying, substance use and demographic variables, we still found a connection between how adolescents feel about their weight and whether they are considering self-harm.

“We also found that females were more at risk than males at perceiving themselves to be overweight.”

The study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, also highlights the critical role of schools, families and communities in creating supportive environments that can help improve teenagers’ self-perceptions, the former because they can offer mental health resources and foster a positive and inclusive atmosphere.

Baiden added: “By investing in preventive measures and early-intervention programs, it is possible to reduce the long-term burden on the health care system and improve the quality of life for young people.”

Baiden and LaBrenz conducted the research along with colleagues from Texas Woman’s University, Florida International University, New York University, Simmons University and the University of Ghana.