A recent study reported in the journal Pediatrics concluded that children who are teased about their weight are likely to use unhealthy behaviors in order to lose weight, such as skipping meals, using diet pills or laxatives, or purging. They are also more likely to engage in binge eating.

The study involved two surveys of over 2,500 middle school and high-school children given five years apart. The questions were on issues about weight and diet, and included questions about teasing. Among those children who admitted to being teased about their weight on the first survey, a large percentage reported unhealthy dieting behaviors on the second survey. Among girls, the behavior was more likely to be binge eating and frequent dieting, whereas boys had a stronger correlation with all types of unhealthy eating behaviors associated with teasing. The study authors note that the more negative outcome for boys in relation to teasing might be because girls have a variety of factors that influence how they feel about their bodies, such as images of ultra thin models or actresses-rather than simply harsh words from others.

What can you do as a parent to prevent teasing that may lead to disordered eating? One place to start is the school. Many schools have policies against racial and ethnic bullying and hate speech but few have policies against teasing people about their body shape. Propose such a policy to your school board and suggest that it be accompanied by curriculum to educate children about the harm that their words can cause others.

And don't forget to stop any teasing that occurs at home too. Siblings, relatives and even parents can say things that might not be meant to hurt-but which can cause pain.

If your child has been the object of teasing about his weight, help him to learn to speak up. Lots of kids who are teased brush it off or laugh rather than being truthful to the teaser. Help him to tell the person how their words made him feel. And encourage him to report the teaser to school officials if this behavior persists.