The stress process and eating pathology among racially diverse adolescents seeking treatment for obesity.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the associations of weight-related teasing and daily hassles with eating pathology, as well as potential mediators of these relations, among a racially diverse sample of adolescents. METHODS Participants were 92 primarily African American 11-17-year-olds seeking treatment for obesity. Data were collected at baseline. RESULTS Both daily hassles and weight-related teasing were significantly correlated with eating pathology at r = .22 and r = .25, respectively. Feeling upset about teasing mediated the associations of daily hassles (PE = .0093, SE = .0054, 95% BCa bootstrap CI of .0001-.0217) and teasing (PE = .0476, SE = .0198, 95% BCa bootstrap CI of .0093-.0873) with eating pathology. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the importance of psychological interventions in the treatment of weight-loss among adolescents, as stressors may impact eating behaviors.