Weight-related Teasing and Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents: Moderated-mediation by Self-perceived Size and Weight Status Weight-related Teasing and Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescents: Moderated-mediation by Self-perceived Size and Weight Status

The current study was an evaluation of one possible mechanism by which adolescent experience of weight-related teasing (WRT) exerts influence on body dissatisfaction, as well as how that process may function differently across weight status. Namely, self-perceived size was examined as a potential mediator of the effect of WRT on body dissatisfaction, and weight status (i.e., healthy weight vs. overweight) was investigated as a potential moderator of this process. Participants were 135 seventh and eighth grade students recruited from six Midwestern middle schools. Findings revealed a significant indirect effect of WRT on body dissatisfaction while controlling for body mass index (BMI) percentile and sex. As hypothesized, the effect of weight-related teasing on body dissatisfaction was mediated by perceptions of body size. Controlling for actual weight and sex, early adolescents who scored higher on a measure of weight-related teasing were more likely to perceive their body size as larger, which was associated with greater body dissatisfaction. Results from the current study did not support weight status as a moderator of this process; however, due to sample size limitations, strong conclusions about the true effect of weight status could not be drawn. The identified mediational relationship is a first-step in understanding mechanisms by which WRT exerts influence on body dissatisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of one's self-perceptions of size, in addition to satisfaction with one's body. Implications for deterring the effects of WRT and/or improving body dissatisfaction via self-perceived size are discussed.