Perceptions of Populariy Influence Weight Gain in Adolescent Girls

Being unpopular may be bad for physical as well as emotional health of teenage girls. A new study finds that girls who rate themselves as having low social standing weigh in at an average of two body mass index (BMI) points above their more popular peers.

Researchers studied 5723 girls aged 12 to 18 years to determine whether the emotional effects of having a perceived lower social standing had an effect on weight gain. In 1999 the girls self-reported height and weight to determine BMI and were asked to place themselves on a ten-rung ladder symbolizing social standing, with the most respected and well-liked of their peers at the top rung and the least respected and liked of their peers at the bottom. Researchers also assessed physical activity levels, whether subjects had reached puberty, self-esteem, depression, and hours of television watched per week and obtained data on maternal BMI, education level and income.

Two years later, girls again reported height, weight and social standing. Researchers found that 19 percent of girls who placed themselves on the bottom four rungs on the social ladder experienced an increase in BMI of two points or more--an average of 11 pounds, compared with just 11 percent of girls who rated themselves on the fifth rung or higher. After adjusting for other factors such as age, depression, maternal BMI and physical activity levels, odds of experiencing this increase in BMI soared to 69 percent for girls on the low end of the social spectrum.

The study shows not just that emotional well-being and weight are linked, but also that negative self-perceptions and low social standing may precede, rather than occur because of, weight gain.

ABSTRACT: Subjective Social Status in the School and Change in Adiposity in Female Adolescents