Weight-related teasing, emotional eating, and weight control behaviors in Hispanic and African American girls.

PURPOSE To assess the association among parent and peer weight-related teasing, emotional eating, and weight control behaviors in minority girls. METHODS 141 Hispanic and African American preadolescent girls (mean age = 11.1 years, SD = 1.5 years) participated. Most of the participants were of Hispanic origin, had a bicultural orientation, and were obese. Participants completed surveys assessing weight-related teasing, emotional eating, weight control behaviors, demographic, and acculturation characteristics. Body weight and height were also assessed. Hierarchical regression analyses were run to determine the associations among study variables. RESULTS Fifty-nine percent of participants reported being weight-related teased by peers and 42% participants reported weight-related teasing by parents. Weight-related teasing by parent was associated with emotional eating and binge eating, whereas peer weight-related teasing was only associated with emotional eating. CONCLUSIONS Findings demonstrated the differential association of weight-related teasing from peers and parents to emotional and binge eating in minority girls.