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Body talk among adolescent females has been associated with negative outcomes, including depressed mood, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction. Yet, little work has investigated the manifestation of body talk in actual conversations between adolescent females or explored pathways through which body talk is spread (e.g., co-rumination). The present study examined body talk among adolescent female dyads (N = 23 dyads) ages 13 to 17 (M age = 15.12) using an observational design. Reciprocally nominated dyads were recruited from a high school in the southeastern United States. Conversations between dyads were qualitatively coded using an applied thematic analysis approach. Identified themes were related to weight, appearance, and personality. Results provide insight into the social context in which sociocultural norms of weight stigma, body dissatisfaction, and eating-related psychopathology may be reinforced. Findings have implications for informing the development of interventions to reduce co-rumination of negative weight- and appearance-related body talk and to promote positive body image and healthy weight among adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of barriers may negatively impact adolescents' ability to successfully alter or sustain healthy weight-related behaviors. However, there is a lack of validated measures to empirically assess these barriers. This study developed a measure of adolescent-reported barriers to healthy weight-related behaviors by adapting the previously validated parent-report Barriers to Child Weight Management. Adolescents (N = 154) ages 11–17 presenting to a tertiary weight management program completed Barriers to Weight Management in Adolescence (BWMA). This measure assessed adolescents' perspectives of barriers to healthy weight-related behaviors. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine model fit, with four hypothesized subscales—Parental Disengagement, Cost, Lack of Family Support, and Adolescent Disengagement. Overall, good model fit was model demonstrated, χ2 (98) = 130.44, p =.02, CFI =.92, RMSEA =.05, SRMR =.06, supporting a four-factor structure. A final 16-item measure demonstrated good initial psychometric properties. As hypothesized, BWMA was significantly associated with general healthy habits [ r = −.25, 95% CI(-.46, −.12)] and parent-reported barriers [ r =.40, 95% CI (.264,.586)]. This study adapted and tested preliminary validation of a quantitative measure of adolescent-reported barriers to weight-related behaviors. Identification of barriers may prompt providers to adequately assess, and in turn address, factors impeding adolescents' success in modifying eating and physical activity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to examine whether social support moderates the relationship between stress eating and body mass index (BMI) change over the freshman year in males and females. This longitudinal study included 70 college students (72.9% female; M age = 18.23) who completed self-reported measures of stress eating and perceived social support, with objective height and weight measurements collected. Among males, social support moderated the relationship between stress eating and BMI change. Among males, social support may serve as a buffer against the impact of stress eating on weight gain during the freshman year of college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a biopsychosocial model of food insecurity, this study examined differences in physical health and mental health outcomes among young adults (N = 98) with and without a history of food insecurity. Young adults with a history of food insecurity had higher average levels of body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, depressive symptoms, stress, and disordered eating scores than individuals with no history of food insecurity. No differences were found with symptoms of anxiety. Future research should examine interventions targeted at decreasing negative mental health outcomes and risk for overweight among young adults who have experienced food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have elevated eating disorder risk. No studies have examined weight stigma as a potential factor associated with disordered eating. This study investigated cross-sectional associations among weight-based victimization, weight bias internalization, and disordered eating in adolescents with T1D. Adolescents (12–17 years; N = 166) self-reported experiences of weight-based victimization from peers, family members, and healthcare professionals. The Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS) and Diabetes Eating Problems Survey (DEPS-R) assessed internalized weight bias and disordered eating, respectively. In a series of multiple hierarchical linear regression analyses (controlling for zBMI, diabetes duration, HbA1c, sex), weight bias internalization, weight-based victimization, and frequency of weight-based victimization by peers, family, and healthcare professionals were all positively associated with disordered eating. Weight stigma is an understudied but potentially important factor to address in adolescents with T1D. Reducing weight stigma may be a promising, novel target for eating disorder prevention in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]