Researchers also found that overweight girls were more likely to name more friends, but less likely to be named as a friend than normal-weight girls.

'Researchers tend to focus mainly on health consequences when talking about weight with adolescents,' Valente said. 'But we also need to be sensitive to the reality that there can be a social cost for overweight youth as well.'

Interventions should take these peer constructs into account, he said, according to an USC release.

'For parents and educators, this may mean being conscious of potential social consequences that children may suffer as a result of being overweight; and acknowledge that many of the behaviours which contribute to obesity are social in nature,' Valente added.