‘Fat Shaming’ May Lead More Weight Gain For Children, Adult

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'Fat-shaming' or making fun of the obese people, according to a study from the United Kingdom, do not help or motivate them to lose weight, instead of gaining weight. A study that conducted in 2014, with around three thousand participants, who were facing a discrimination due to their weight. It included treated with a low respect, received a terrible service at shops or restaurants, harassed or treated as they have no brain.

The result of the study shows that about five percent of the participant gained two pounds on average in 4 years period and who did not get any discrimination lost about 1,5 pounds. The director of the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Center at University College London, Jane Wardle said that their study clearly shows that discrimination due to weight is not the solution, but a cause of obesity and doctors should supporting them, not shaming or blaming.

Recently, another study shows that gaining weight due to 'fat-shaming' not only affect to adult but also children. In this case, 'fat-shaming' for children is divided into two, first, when parents called them with any 'cute name', which causes a comfort eating feeling. Second is when they're being told directly about an overweight, and lead them to an unsuccessful effort.

The researchers from Liverpool University, Eric Robinson, and Florida State University, Angelina Sutin analyzed two studies that are from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and the Growing Up in Ireland. Both studies tracked child development and concluded that children gain more weight as their parents perceive them as obese than the children who parents do not.

The first study tracked a weight of children from the age of four until fifteen years old in 4,983 families. Meanwhile, the second study tracked a nine to thirteen years children in 8,568 families.