Obesity, Labeling, and Psychological Distress in Late-Childhood and Adolescent Black and White Girls

Abstract

The stigma of childhood obesity has the potential to affect psychological development during the early life course, but few studies examine whether experiencing stigma in childhood and adolescence has lasting ramifications for mental health during the transition to adulthood. Integrating modified labeling theory with a life course perspective, this study examined how obesity at different ages affects psychological distress in late adolescence using longitudinal data on black and white girls. We tested whether parent or friend labeling mediates this relationship and whether distal effects on psychological distress are further mediated through proximal distress using data from the National Growth and Health Study (n = 2,379). Findings showed significant proximal and distal effects of obesity on psychological distress through both parent and friend labeling among white girls. Distal effects on psychological distress were also mediated by proximal psychological distress. Among black girls, there were no distal effects, suggesting weight-based stigma is more consequential for white girls compared to black girls.