Bullying was never cool but now it may also lead to obesity later in life

Children who are bullied in primary and secondary school are nearly twice as likely to be overweight at the age of 18 than non-bullied children, finds a study.

Children who are bullied in primary and secondary school are nearly twice as likely to be overweight at the age of 18 than non-bullied children, finds a study.

In the study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine, the researchers examined whether bullying in a modern context would have similar effects on weight, given that it may take different forms like cyber bullying than it did earlier.

The researchers analysed data on more than 2,000 children and assessed bullying victimisation in primary school and early secondary school through interviews with mothers and children at repeated assessments at the ages of seven, 10 and 12.

Analysis showed that children who were chronically bullied became overweight independent of their genetic risk of being overweight.

They found that 28 % of children in the study had been bullied in either primary school or secondary school (defined as transitory bullying), and 13 % had been bullied at both primary and secondary school (defined as chronic bullying).

These associations were independent of other environmental risk factors (including socioeconomic status, food insecurity in the home, child maltreatment, low IQ and poor mental health).

In addition, and for the first time, analysis showed that children who were chronically bullied became overweight independent of their genetic risk of being overweight.

“Our study shows that bullied children are more likely to be overweight as young adults, and that they become overweight independent of their genetic liability and after experiencing victimisation,” said Andrea Danese, researcher at the King’s College London.

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