Say what you will, but being a teenage girl is indisputably and inarguably hard. As in—years of dealing with a changing body, figuring out who you are, and feeling judged for every little thing—kind of hard.

For the 14-year-old in this Reddit story, it only got tougher when her best friend’s mom took it upon herself to “help” her become more attractive. The woman shamed her for not getting enough attention from boys and even bought her a dress that was too small, hoping it would inspire her to lose weight.

Of course, the girl’s mom wasn’t going to let this fly. Read on to find out what happened next.

The teen girl was enjoying a shopping trip with her best friend

Image credits: Image-Source / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

But things turned sour when her friend’s mom bought her a dress that was too small, hoping it would inspire her to lose weight

Image credits: Rawpixel / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Image credits: LifeWasAWilloww

Body-shaming of children and teens can have serious consequences

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

As heartbreaking as this Reddit story is, it’s unfortunately just one of many cases where young people are shamed for their appearance. Studies reveal that over 90% of teenage girls and over 60% of teenage boys have experienced some form of body-shaming in their lifetime. In fact, weight-based bullying is the most common form of bullying among adolescents.

Experts from the University of Minnesota Medical School point to a body of research showing that body-shaming can have detrimental effects on physical, emotional, and psychological health. These include:

• Higher rates of depression and anxiety
• Low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction
• Increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• Higher likelihood of disordered eating behaviors
• Greater tendency to avoid healthy activities like physical exercise

Katie Loth, Ph.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, believes there’s a significant societal bias that influences how we perceive bodies and weight.

“We live in a culture placing enormous value on thinness and physical beauty. Pop culture perpetuates this perceived importance by limiting the images we see to only those including individuals who match society’s high, often unattainable, expectations for physical appearance,” she says. “We need to demand the images we view are respectful and honest portrayals of real people, representing the full range of diversity within our culture.”

Instead of focusing on weight in conversations with children, like the woman did in the Reddit story, Loth encourages parents, coaches, and health professionals to set behavioral goals. For example, emphasizing healthy eating and regular physical activity, which are more likely to lead to positive long-term behavior changes.

“We need to take a stand for our bodies,” concludes Loth. “We need to shift the public conversation away from the number on the scale and focus more on a much broader view of overall health.”

Most commenters agreed that the friend’s mom was out of line and behaved like a bully

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Others, however, thought the daughter needed the push to lose weight

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