Surprise, surprise ladies. If you spend the better part of a girls night out ruminating about the extra five pounds you gained on your all-inclusive vacation, you won't be very popular.

Talking about your weight in a negative way can actually harm you. (Thinkstock)A study from the University of Notre Dame, recently presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association annual conference, suggests that while talking about ones weight in a negative way is a cultural norm for women, it has harmful effects.

“Though it has become a regular part of everyday conversation, ‘fat talk’ is far from innocuous,” says lead author Alexandra Corning. “It is strongly associated with, and can even cause, body dissatisfaction, which is a known risk factor for the development of eating disorders.”

Also see: Does your personality change when you gain weight?

The study had university-aged women participants look at images of thin and overweight women who made either negative or positive comments about their weight. The participants were then asked to rate the women talking about their