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ERIC Number: EJ977063
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-2847
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Weighing In--Healthy at Any Size?
Jackson, Camille
Teaching Tolerance, n41 p36-38 Spr 2012
It's easy for overweight children to feel singled out and shamed about their body size, at home and at school. Experts say children can easily interpret even the well-intentioned "war on childhood obesity," meant to promote health, to mean a war on their bodies and on them. Size-based stigma stems in large part from the myth that being fat is a result of a lack of self-control and willpower. There are prevailing public perceptions about the causes of obesity, like the widespread belief that obesity is simply an issue of laziness. This perception drastically oversimplifies the complex causes--societal and biological--of obesity. Unfortunately, educators often promote the negative stereotypes overweight students face. Studies show teachers tend to call on lean children over obese students. Some are less likely to give a favorable grade to overweight kids, and they generally perceive these children to be less successful. Teachers often view overweight students as untidy and more emotional, among other problems. Obese students are also less likely to be accepted to college, despite having equivalent application rates and academic achievement. Schools can avoid perpetuating size-based stigma by de-emphasizing weight and body mass index (BMI) numbers and focusing on overall health for all children.
Southern Poverty Law Center. 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104. Tel: 334-956-8200; Fax: 334-956-8484; Web site: http://www.tolerance.org/teach/magazine/index.jsp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A