Teenage Suicide Attempts Tied to Weight Worries
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Even those who only consider themselves fat are at an increased risk, study shows
Teenage kids who are overweight, or even those who think they are, have greater tendencies of attempting suicide than other teenagers, a new U.S. study reports.
For the study, the research team examined more than 14,000 high school students to find if there exists a connection between suicide tries and body mass index (BMI). The study further sought a possible link between suicide attempts and a teenager’s self-perception of being overweight – be it the truth or not.
The findings of the study revealed that teenagers who were overweight those who considered themselves to be overweight had higher tendencies of attempting suicide than teenagers who did not think they were overweight. For both girls and boys, the results were equally significant.
The study is published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
In a news release issued by the Georgia State University, the lead author of the study, Monica Swahn, an associate dean for research at the College of Health and Human Science and an associate professor in the Institute of Public Health of the same university said that the findings of their study "show that both perceived and actual overweight increase risk for suicide attempt."
According to Swahn, "this is a major concern since more and more children and youth are becoming overweight and obese."
The researchers said that a clearer comprehension of the association existing between weight concerns and suicide risk in teenagers can play a vital role in the development of sound strategies aimed to prevent suicide.
"We cannot only focus prevention strategies on those who are overweight and who are concerned about their weight, but we also need to include youth who feel that they are overweight even though they may not be," Swahn said. The study author further said that teenagers experience great pressures trying "to fit in and to fit certain limited ideals of beauty."
In the same news release, Dr. Hatim Omar, chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of Kentucky, said that the study puts in another signal to health care providers, parents, teachers and society as a whole "about the need for screening for depression and suicide risk in all teens, with special attention to teens with perceived or actual obesity."
