Emotional Distress in Obese Teens

Obesity is a problem for many teenagers, as is the occasional mocking, which can cause emotional distress. The media only makes life more difficult for them, portraying obese people as clumsy, unintelligent and unlikely to succeed. As a parent, the way you handle the circumstance with your teen can improve -- or further damage -- her emotional well-being.

  1. Teasing, Self-Esteem and Academics

    • If your teen is overweight, she likely will face unkind comments, names and laughter from others because of her weight. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all these behaviors from others can have a devastating effect on her self-image. She is likely to take the unkind comments seriously, believing that she is inferior to her classmates. Her grades might slide, and she could begin to skip school or drop out altogether.

    Bullying

    • Bullying takes many forms. It can present itself as posts on a social media website, verbal threats against your teen's physical well-being, or refusing to be her friend and encouraging schoolmates to avoid her. Furthermore, it can involve the less mature parent in your household or a sibling who tells your teen that she could do somersaults as easily as her much thinner next-door neighbor if she stopped eating so much and quit being so "lazy."

    Teaching Coping Skills

    • Teasing based on your teen's weight will happen. As the Johns-Hopkins School of Public Health suggests, a person's weight is one of the last "acceptable" topics of prejudice. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should teach your child to walk away or to firmly tell her harasser to stop. Encourage your teen not to cry in front of her tormentor because that could escalate the taunting. Train her to not focus the negative people in her life, but on the true friends and adult advocates she does have, who appreciate her regardless of her weight.

    Advocating For Your Teen

    • Talk to your child's teacher about the teasing. If it doesn't stop after that conference, speak with the principal or a school counselor. In addition, use the next Parent-Teacher Association meeting to suggest the need for school officials to create programs on the topic of teasing and bullying obese kids. In addition, encourage your teen to make healthier food choices and to exercise. Seek the help of a doctor, a nutritionist and your child's physical education teacher. Tell her that being obese could lead to additional health issues, including high blood pressure and diabetes, later in life. But do so in a loving, gentle manner.

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