Research Suggests That Being Body-Shamed Could Create a Serious Health Risk

Body shaming is shunned by people far and wide for being a completely unacceptable behaviour. Simply put: it’s bullying. And no one likes a bully. But did you know that being body-shamed can cause a risk of something serious?

 

According to a study  published this week in Psychological Science, body shaming can actually be deadly. Researchers discovered this after looking at data from two other surveys; one began in 2006 and the other in 1995 — 18,800 adults total.

In both surveys, people in the US were asked about their everyday experiences with discrimination, and how being put down by others affected them. The researchers then matched those participants with data from The National Death Index in order to see how many were still alive in 2012.

The results showed that participants who felt they suffered from discrimination in relation to their weight were 60 percent more likely to have died by 2012. “These findings suggest the possibility that the stigma associated with being overweight is more harmful than actually being overweight,” the authors note.

The authors suggest that these findings might be the result of people being socially isolated and sedentary, and we’ve all been made well aware of the issues of sitting all day long, as well as the importance of strong relationships on our overall wellbeing.

“The consequences of this mistaken belief are now clear: Growing evidence suggests that weight bias does not work… It leads to greater morbidity…and, now, greater mortality,” the authors say.

Have you been a victim of body shaming? How has it affected you?

Source: Shape

 

1. Prev:7 Foods That Could Be Making You Bloat
2. Next:Vegetables That Can Kill Stomach Fat In Just One Week