Puhl Rebecca M, Himmelstein Mary S
1 Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut , Storrs, CT.
2 Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut , Hartford, CT.
Child Obes. 2018 Jul;14(5):291-301. doi: 10.1089/chi.2018.0047. Epub 2018 Jul 5.
With high rates of adolescent obesity, many parents are talking to adolescents about their body weight. Parental "weight talk" is linked with adverse health behaviors in youth, but we know little about what parents say in these conversations. Using a weight loss treatment-seeking sample of adolescents, the present study assessed adolescents' emotional reactions to words their parents use to describe their weight and preferred language for these interactions.
Adolescents enrolled in a national weight loss camp (N = 148) completed a questionnaire assessing their preferences for, and emotional reactions to, parental use of 18 words to describe their body weight.
Findings showed a diverse range of weight language used by parents, with many words inducing negative emotional reactions of embarrassment, shame, and sadness in adolescents. Emotional responses to weight language varied according to adolescents' gender, BMI, and experience of weight-teasing from family members.
Findings underscore the need to carefully consider language; parents should avoid making assumptions about what language to use in conversations with adolescents about their weight. Educating parents how to identify negative weight talk may help promote more supportive parental communication about weight-related health.
鉴于青少年肥胖率居高不下，许多家长都在与青少年谈论他们的体重。家长的“体重话题”与青少年的不良健康行为有关，但我们对家长在这些谈话中具体说了什么知之甚少。本研究以寻求减肥治疗的青少年为样本，评估了青少年对父母用来描述其体重的词语的情绪反应，以及他们对这些交流中所使用语言的偏好。
参加全国减肥夏令营的青少年（N = 148）完成了一份问卷，评估他们对父母使用18个词语描述其体重的偏好及情绪反应。
结果显示家长使用的体重相关语言多种多样，许多词语在青少年中引发了尴尬、羞耻和悲伤等负面情绪反应。对体重相关语言的情绪反应因青少年的性别、体重指数以及来自家庭成员的体重调侃经历而异。
研究结果强调了仔细考虑语言的必要性；家长在与青少年谈论体重时，应避免对使用何种语言想当然。教导家长如何识别负面的体重相关话题，可能有助于促进家长在体重相关健康问题上进行更具支持性的沟通。
