Labeling a young girl “fat” has long-term consequences. A University of California, Los Angeles study found that when a parent, sibling, friend, classmate or teacher calls a 10-year-old girl fat, she is one and a half times more likely to be obese by age 19, as compared to other girls who are not called fat. Experts believe the stigma of being called fat creates stress and leads to overeating. A New Jersey Obesity report found that nearly 10 percent of the state’s girls under the age of 15 are obese.