Fat shaming in Asia has to stop – it’s time parents and teachers changed their attitudes towards weight

Young women in Asia are under pressure from family and society to look ‘thin and dainty’. Some go to extreme lengths to have the ‘ideal’ body

Habits formed in adolescence have long-term implications for mental and physical health, so it is up to family and teachers to set the right example

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Societal and cultural norms are teaching young people to associate their body size with success, or lack thereof. Photo: Alamy

Published: 8:47am, 1 Mar 2019Updated: 11:24am, 7 Apr 2021

“Before” and “after” weight loss photos; diet pills touted as a cures for sadness; the social stigma attached to weight gain: throughout the world, societal and cultural norms are teaching young people to associate their body size with success, or lack thereof.

For many young people, growing up with these pressures is resulting in eating disorders that last well beyond their teenage years.

Recently a high-school teacher in Hangzhou, a city in eastern China, threatened his students with forced exercise sessions if they gained too much weight over Chinese New Year.

This story should concern educators, parents and medical professionals alike. Research has shown just how harmful weight-related messages can be for adolescents.

Children and teenagers should have a positive relationship with food. Photo: Alamy

Growing up in Hong Kong and finding my passion in the academic field of psychology has led me to become deeply involved with research on eating disorders, with a specific interest in the role that culture plays in their onset, development and treatment.