Our discussions in psychology classes lately have focused on the nature/nurture issue in development, as well as the issue of obesity in children.
A recent study reported in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent health reported on how an adolescent girl's opinion of her social status or popularity predicted weight gain. Those who felt less popular were more likely to gain weight over the following two years.
Researchers at Harvard queried 4500 girls from 12-18 about their social standing at their school, asking this question:
At the top of the ladder are the people in your school with the most respect and the highest standing. At the bottom are people who no one respects and no one wants to hang around with. Where would you place yourself on the ladder?
Two years later, the girls who had answered at a level four or lower were at a 70% more risk of gaining excess weight. The researchers point out that interventions aimed at reducing obesity consider social as well as nutritional variables. What do you think?
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23 comments:
I can see this clearly at my school. It's neat to see all of the links scientists have found between different individual situations, and bring it to a generalization.
something needs to be done about it to let these girls know that it is alright to not be accpected into a group
These girls feel as if they don't have much to strive for. They are not the most popular they have their "own" friends that accept them for them, so I believe that they dont feel the constant pressure to impress others like the more popular people, who try t stay in the popular scene by remaining pretty, and skinny.
The low self esteem caused the young girls to gain weight. Social status can have a toll on a persons self esteem. There need to be a counselor for these young girls at there school to let them know that popularity is not everything, and that its ok to not be accepted by a group of people.
To me, this could be somethin like which came first the chicken or the egg? Are they overweight because they are an outcast? Or are the an outcast because they are overweight?
This was going on when I was in high school but it is much worse now. It is also starting in earlier grades and I think these girls should learn how to be themselves and that everyone will not accept them and thats ok.
Kellie Alligood
Obesity in children is a high rise in our society today. Weight gain has a lot to do with self-esteem. A young teen with poor self-esteem will be more likely to gain weight and I see it more in girls than in boys. It is sad how much the children of today base they way they look, think, act, and feel on what others do and say.
I think gaining or losing weight can go both ways. I've heard and read alot about young girls not feeling accepted and most turn to food but then again some just stop eating. Being accepted and fitting in is a constant worry for young girls. As womans and especially girls long to feel loved, wanted and needed. As a young girl I got so upset when my "friends" turned against me and ignored me, as i grew older I started to brush little stuff like that off but I still like to feel loved now.It's our nature.
i think that whoever conducted the study should also look at the reasons why the girls feel popular or not popular. maybe it isn't that if your not popular you are likely to gain weight in the future, maybe it's that if you are overweight you are not popular. Though, popularity isn't just about a girls weight.
Ms.Meyer, I forgot to add my name to the bottom of the blog directly above this one, sorry!
Meredith Haddock
In my opinion popularity is not important, I am not a girl so I do not know how they feel about being popular. I think that the media is to blame for everybody walking around skinny, I like some meat so EAT already.
Richard D. Godley
In my opinion popularity is not important, I am not a girl so I do not know how they feel about being popular. I think that the media is to blame for everybody walking around skinny, I like some meat so EAT already.
I think that is true. I saw it in my highschool and I even made myself participate in all the sports so I wouldn't become overweight because growing up my sister was the chunky one and I was the tall skinny and I would always be scared of their remarks and reactions towards her. These girls need help and some counseling. Thats what helped my sister. Esther Wilson
"Tina Dunn"
Self esteem can play a vital role in how we view ourselves and how our weight reflects this.
We can all relate to how others look at us and how we feel about it. We are either confident or self conscious and we know we as individuals have the choice in how we take care of ourselves and what we eat.
Teaching our children to eat right and take care of themselves is important but we should also remind them that no matter what shape, size or color they are who they are and are loved no matter what. That they are human just as the next and should never let anyone belittle them in any way.
As I mentioned before, self esteem is VERY important in ones everyday life young and old. We as a society should be more positive than negative and put more energy in educating than humiliating.
Tina Dunn
PSY 241 BCCC "Spring 2008"
Girls can be really harsh on each other. Either the girls are starving themselves to fit in, or they are eating themselves to death because they are not happy. I think this is always going to be a problem.
I think teenage girls should not be, so infatuated with celebrty magazines and whats goin on in hollywood. Maybe then bein thin wouldn't influence them so much?
LeAnn Paul
This could be good and bad. It's good to be healthy and lead a healthy life but I think people are going about it the wrong way. Just because these girls aren't accepted into a "high social standing", so what?? There are more things in life than not be accepted and they need to realize that they are only punishing themselves and hurting themselves rather than bettering their situation.
alex lea
Alot of girls who aren't popular do have self-esteem issues which can contribute to finding "comfort"
in food. The balance of the two can be extreme in overeating for the not so popular girl or an eating disorder for the popular girl to stay thin such as anorexia or bulimia
This is a problem that has persisted all through history. Corsets used to ruin a girl's internal organs and sometimes even kill her not even 150 years ago. It is easy to say people should realize this and that, but what we are dealing with is something that is obviously genetic and part of every human. More tolerance is needed, but also more information needs to be obtained.
Doug Jones
i think that people that people should want to feel beyyer about themselves and not change for anyone
I feel so concerned about the youth of today's society. They try to be what they see on t.v. and will do anything to become their favorite singer or actor. Aneroxia is a cause of this and is definatly nolt the anwser. Also when youth feel about themselves and others make fun of them the eat and eat and obesity becomes a issue. As people try to become popular they take their bodies thru many unnessary situations.
Dennis McKinney
Hasn't this always been the big issue of highschool? I am just thankful that i had an Excellent role model (my mother) to help me realize the big picture, and that the way i looked wasn't half as big of a deal as the way i treated others.
jamie rieg
I completly agree with Brittany's comment about which came first. Many girls who are over weight seem to hold themselves back from life which can give the outcast persona. While others who are outcasts can become overweight because they have the low self esteem or possibly just dont care about themselves or what others think about them.
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