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Prejudice Against Fat Children

The literature reveals that fat children are the target of ridicule and disgust both by their peers and by the adults in their lives, including teachers, counselors and parents. As early as preschool age, children have accepted the stereotypes about and developed prejudice against fat children. Given the opportunity to play with fat or thin dolls, all children, even fat children, preferred to play with thin dolls. Given pictures of children who were in a wheelchair, missing a limb, on crutches, facially disfigured, or obese, most children said they would least like to play with the fat child.

By elementary school, children describe fat children as lazy, sloppy, dirty, stupid and ugly. Fat children are less likely than other children to receive "best friend" ratings from their classmates. When shown silhouettes of fat and thin males and females, nine-year-old children rated the fat figures as having significantly fewer friends, being less liked by their parents, doing less well at school, being less content with their appearance and wanting to be thinner. Six- to ten-year-old boys rated fat children as most likely to be teased.

Teachers and counselors are subject to the same stereotypes and biases. In a study of more than two hundred teachers, it was found that for such characteristics as attractiveness, energy level, leadership ability, self-esteem and the ability to be socially outgoing, large children are consistently perceived by teachers more negatively than average-weight children. In another study of education professionals, a picture of an average-size teenage girl received higher ratings on scholarship, while the picture of a fat girl was rated highest on risk for personal problems and recommendation for psychological referral. A study of fifty-two mental health professionals indicated that counselors have the same biases as the general public, tending to stereotype fat people negatively and thin people positively. One study, controlling for income, ethnicity, family size and number of children attending college, found that girls were less likely to receive support from their parents for college education if they were fatter than average.

Recommendations for Supporting Fat Children

Counselors, psychologists, physicians and other experts suggest that a

strategy beneficial to the social and emotional well-being of fat children would be to accept them at any size and support them in building self-esteem and positive body image. This is possible by adopting an attitude of admiration, appreciation and nurturance of fat children.

To appreciate fat children is to value the diversity of people and to see fat children as a valid part of that diversity. To nurture a fat child, one must see that child as indispensable, and view them with genuine affection and delight. We will then be willing to advocate for them, love them and nurture them.

Educational materials and instruction should be free of derogatory representations of fat people, including negative stereotypes about fat people as lazy, sloppy, stupid, mean or eating too much. Material should not depict fat people whose problems are solved because they lose weight.

All children deserve love and respect, whatever the size of their bodies. We need to speak to all children about our appreciation for fat children. By teaching children the value of respecting fat children we are teaching fat children to love and respect themselves.