A new study led by UT Arlington reveals that teens who see themselves as overweight are significantly more likely to contemplate self-harm, regardless of actual weight. Researchers emphasize the importance of supportive environments in mitigating this risk.
Adolescents who think they are overweight are three times more likely to consider self-harm compared to their peers who do not share this perception, independent of their actual weight. This alarming trend was uncovered in a new study led by The University of Texas at Arlington.
The findings underscore a significant issue in adolescent mental health, impacting many regardless of their objective body size.
“What we found was that the perception of being overweight has a much stronger effect on suicidal ideation than the objective measure of weight,” lead author Philip Baiden, an associate professor of social work at UT Arlington, said in a news release.
UT Arlington researchers collaborated with scholars from UT Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Florida International University, New York University, Simmons University and the University of Ghana.
“This finding ties neatly into recent calls to reconsider how accurate BMI is as a tool for diagnosing individuals as overweight or obese,” Baiden added.
The comprehensive study, now published in Psychiatry Research, analyzed data from more than 39,000 youths aged 14 to 18, sourced from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
The data, collected from 2015 to 2021, included both self-reported information from adolescents and data from caregivers and school records. This multi-faceted approach allowed researchers to explore the complex relationship between weight perception and mental health.
The study revealed more about the contributing factors to suicidal thoughts among adolescents.
“Even after adjusting for established suicidal ideation risk factors, such as feelings of hopelessness, bullying, cyberbullying, substance use and demographic variables, we still found a connection between how adolescents feel about their weight and whether they are considering self-harm,” added co-author Catherine LaBrenz, an associate professor of social work at UT Arlington.
Additionally, the research indicated that females are more prone to perceive themselves as overweight compared to males, putting them at a higher risk of self-harm.
The implications of these findings are profound for both educators and health care providers. Supportive school environments, accessible mental health resources and a focus on positive self-perception could potentially mitigate the risk of self-harm among teens.
“By investing in preventive measures and early-intervention programs, it is possible to reduce the long-term burden on the health care system and improve the quality of life for young people,” Baiden concluded.