Photo credit to livescience.com
It’s not a surprise to learn that overweight kids are shunned by their peers, have more enemies and experience more bullying than kids whose weight is more in line with healthy standards.
A study proved that heavier kids were less likely to have “give and take” relationships, were disliked by their peers and were excluded altogether.
Rejection of a person based on their weight leads to fat shaming which has social, physical and mental effects. Their increased risk of loneliness and depression can lead to even more intense, unhealthy eating and resulting illness, decreased physical activity and social rejection.
In America, 20% of school-age children are overweight or obese.
My experience with kids is that they have to be the ones to initiate change, but you have to let them know that you’re “all in” when they decide to lose weight. Until they reach that conclusion, be a healthy role model for them.
Claudia
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