Quick summary: New research from Croatia finds that weight-based bullying is a consistent predictor of anxiety, depression, stress, and physical symptoms in teenagers aged 15–18. Personality traits such as neuroticism and extraversion shape how severely those effects are felt, while family and teacher support can act as either protective or complicating factors depending on the context. The findings point to the need for schools and families to take coordinated, targeted action against weight stigma rather than relying on individual interventions alone.
Teenagers who experience weight-based bullying and social exclusion are significantly more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and stress, according to new research examining how body weight stigma affects adolescent mental health. The findings highlight growing concerns about the psychological toll of weight-related teasing among young people, and point to the important role families and schools play in either cushioning or worsening those effects. The research was published in The Journal of Psychology.
The study, conducted with more than 1,000 Croatian high school students aged 15–18, found that weight stigma was a direct and consistent predictor of poorer mental health across multiple measures, including anxiety, depression, stress, and physical symptoms such as headaches and abdominal pain. Ivana Ivančić, PhD, researcher from the University of Rijeka in Croatia, explained the motivation behind the work: “The study was motivated by the growing number of young people facing overweight and obesity, as well as the accompanying stigmatisation, which is considered one of the most common forms of bullying among adolescents.”
Researchers also identified the personality traits and social environments that shaped how severely those effects were felt. One of the most striking findings concerned neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative emotions intensely. Adolescents who scored higher on this trait were not only more vulnerable to the mental health effects of weight stigma generally, but showed a markedly stronger anxiety response when stigmatisation was frequent. This suggests that teenagers already prone to emotional reactivity face a compounded burden when they are targeted for their weight.
Extraversion produced a more complex picture. Teenagers who were more sociable and outwardly engaged showed lower levels of physical symptoms in the context of weight stigma, but reported higher anxiety. The researchers suggest this may be because extraverted young people are more immersed in social life and therefore encounter more opportunities for stigmatising experiences, making rejection or ridicule around body weight particularly distressing for them.
Family support emerged as one of the most powerful protective factors. Young people who felt supported at home reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. However, higher levels of family support were associated with a stronger effect of weight stigma on somatisation, possibly reflecting overprotective dynamics that reinforce rather than resolve somatic complaints. Teacher support also played a meaningful role, particularly in buffering the effects of stigma on depression and physical symptoms.
Ivančić noted that the findings point to a broader set of mechanisms at work: “Certain personality traits and forms of social support can potentially increase vulnerability or act as protective factors against the effects of weight stigma. Adolescent health should be understood through a biopsychosocial perspective, taking into account multiple factors that may influence health outcomes, including social experiences, individual characteristics, and support systems.”
Looking ahead, Ivančić said the team hopes the work will have a practical impact: “We hope that continued research in this area will contribute to a better understanding of stigmatisation processes, increase awareness of their potential consequences, and support the development of strategies aimed at reducing weight stigma.”
