Stop Kids from Sulking Away Due to Body Shaming

Hefty Kids Isolate Themselves to Avoid Humiliation

“Look at Harry, he can’t even run fast with his fat belly during sports events!”
“Hey Reshma, why don’t you sit at the back of the class. You are completely blocking my view of the black board!"

These are some often-quoted remarks that overweight/obese children face at school. Such children are often mocked at and become the center of laughter trolls. Being subjected to such harassments, many of them sulk away into isolation and even quit doing their favorite activities such as swimming or playing games. Even teachers are not much bothered at school and their body language conveys the message that these children are ought to be bullied as they are hefty!

What do Health Experts Say?
Pediatricians and health experts say that weight stigma can result in social isolation, binge eating, avoiding visits to the physician and decreased physical activity leading to a situation that yet again promotes weight gain. Bullying and teasing a kid’s body weight can even result in anxiety or substance abuse sometimes. In extreme cases, some kids even think about committing suicide to put an end to their mental and physical trauma.

Weight-based bullying created more trauma than bullying that included sexist remarks or mocking at a person’s sexual orientation or disability. The sad factor here is that, it is not only other children who shame kids for weight, but also healthcare providers who propagate the view that obese/overweight kids are lazy, lack self-control and are less intelligent.

It does not stop with these groups of individuals, but parents and teachers too contribute to the shaming. Teachers rate performance of obese children worse than how they actually perform and children attending weight-loss camps or trying to lose weight with reduced food portions are shamed by parents themselves at homes which creates an insecure feeling within the child.

Points to Remember when Dealing with Plus-sized Children

1. Factors other than your child, such as income, background and belonging to a culture that promotes unhealthy eating patterns contribute to obesity.
2. Parents should focus on the child’s overall health instead of just concentrating on what the weighing machine indicates. Conversations while dining together should never focus on how much a child weighs as it can distress a kid. Instead of advising your children on what not to eat, focus on the foods that can be consumed by them.
3. You should set an example for your kid to stay on a healthy weight. Model healthy behaviors at home, create nutritious eating schedules and involve the entire family in physical activity routines. Start doing this slowly, one by one. You can cook a meal together from scratch or play a game of basketball outside after dinner or at least during weekends.
4. Entertainment sources such as movies too impart jokes on fat kids. Almost 70% of movies, including the most famous ones such as Kung Fu Panda and Puss in Boots, contain at least one instance of weight stigma. While watching television, if the program telecasted exhibits weight stigma, switch over to some other channel or make your child understand that such talks are negative and must be avoided.
5. If parents find their children disturbed or stressed due to their weight issues, it is important to talk to the child immediately. Sit down with your child and together discuss ways in which you can stop bullying at school or among the friends who play with your kid. It is even better to talk to the school authorities and to the child’s pediatrician if concerns are felt that such bullying is affecting the child’s emotional well-being or physical health.
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Parents who feel the need for the intervention of a registered dietitian nutritionist to correct their kid’s eating habits can get in touch with them at www.firsteatright.com.