Weight Bias Threatens Obese Children's Health and Quality of Life

Overweight children who are stigmatized by peers and their parents and teachers sustain profound and potentially lasting harm, according to a paper by scientists from Yale and the University of Hawaii at Manatoa. “Weight-based discrimination is as important a problem as racial discrimination or discrimination against children with physical disabilities,” the authors write in the July issue of Psychological Bulletin. “Remedying it needs to be taken equally seriously if we are to protect the emotional and physical well-being of our nation’s children.” The study analyzes published research gathered from psychological, medical, social science, and educational databases. Over 100 studies were included that offered evidence on the associations between obesity, stigma (e.g., teasing, victimization, and prejudice of obese youth) and a variety of negative consequences that included social exclusion, low self esteem, reduced academic and earning potential, avoidance of physical activity, eating disorders, and even suicide.