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Calling young girls ‘fat’ increases obesity risk

Labelling a young girl as “fat” increases the risk she will become obese in later life, according to a recent study.

More than 2300 girls in the US were part of the study, which tracked their weight gain from age 10 to 19. Some 58% of participants were called fat at age 10, with 66% of those girls obese by the time they were 19.

Researcher A. Janet Tomiyama said young females who are subject to weight-related labels may become depressed and develop unhealthy eating habits.

Read more at University of California, Los Angeles

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