Obese Children and Their Peers
No one likes being the odd person out. But if you're overweight and a child, chances are you'll not only be the last one picked for the team, you'll also find it harder to make friends. In the oftentimes cruel world of children, overweight children are more likely to be shut out than even children with other physical challenges. And there are more overweight children now than ever before. Obese children are taught at an early age that they are unacceptable by societal standards, and it is not a hard lesson to learn. These lessons are all around them from the moment they become larger than average. There is no place to escape it. Family, school and friends all provide pressure about the "problem." Overweight children often fall victim to ridicule, taunts and insults from peers, which can product long-term psychological effects.According to the American Dietetic association (ADA), while the health status of children in the United States has generally improved in the last three decades, the number of children who are overweight has more than doubled. (Larkin, 16) Approximately 4.7 million children now meet the criteria of twenty percent above desirable weight, and are considered obese. (Larkin, 17) Obese children also have inc
From an early age, society stigmatizes obese people as lazy, stupid, slow, and self-indulgent. When children tease each other for being overweight, they are really saying out loud what our culture reinforces daily. Obese children will tell you that they do not deserve to be ridiculed simply because they wear bigger sizes. The reality is that anxiety, shame and guilt are common feelings among obese children. (Larkin, 16) Obesity is seen as a moral failing, and obese children are seen as unmotivated to change. During my research of society and obese children, I ran across many stories that told of the harmful side effects that children teasing each other could have on a child. One story told about a boy named Evan, who was overweight by fifteen extra pounds. Besides being teased on the bus and the playground, he quit Boy Scouts because of the frequent obese jokes made. A few years back, a story made national headlines when an overweight tenth grader from Georgia stood up in class and cried out " I just can't take it anymore!" He then proceeded to shoot himself in full view of his peers, who has teased him incessantly about his size. Another teenager, Brian was shy and obese. He was often a target for cruel jokes. Freshman students made fun of Brian all the time, and he got beaten up a lot. It was obvious the taunting hurt, and students had made fun of Brian's weight and how he looked since he was in seventh grade. The last thing Brian said before killing himself was also "I'm tired of it!" A young boy in Florida also who had been taunted about being overweight hung himself in his family's backyard to avoid the start of a new school year. These are just a few of the stories. I found many stories
Some common words found in the essay are:
American Dietetic, Obese People, Boy Scouts, , obese children, obese people, overweight children, larkin 16, obese parents, children taunted, childhood obesity, children obese, children overweight, students fun,
Approximate Word count = 1155
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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