LOS ANGELES
Chinese teens who consider themselves fat are at an increased risk for depression and school-related stress, according to a new study by the University of Southern California.
Girls who said they were overweight had an overall average GPA of 3.06 versus 3.20 for other girls, according to the study of nearly 7,000 middle- and high-school students in seven Chinese cities.
A perception of obesity also altered the behavior of male students in the study. Boys who considered themselves overweight were more prone to rudeness and losing their tempers. The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior.
“Thin as the ideal body type is a relatively new standard in China, a trend fueled by increased wealth and media exposure to Western lifestyle,” says lead author Dr. Bin Xie, an assistant research professor in the USC School of Social Work.
Weight perception may trump actual body weight in predicting negative psychological effects, Xie say. The students who exhibited the unhealthy attitudes considered themselves overweight, even if they were a normal weight.
