Study Shows Most Bullied Kids are Overweightby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 28 Dec 2008 09:40 AM This fascinating new study reveals that overweight children are typically a bully's prime targets. While you might not consider this "breaking news," it is very revealing in that it shows that kids who are picked on avoid situations where they are bullied, such as gyms, playgrounds, and other sporting events. The very places children go to burn off calories. According to the study, roughly one out of every five children is chronically bullied, and in most cases repeated teasing and taunting leads to depression and loneliness. This finding coupled with the fact that bullies drive their victims away from physical activities spells serious trouble for children's health, according to researchers. What's more, experts say negative attitudes toward exercise can last a lifetime, making it more difficult for overweight children to lose weight as age. The bottom line says researchers: The more kids are bullied the more they refrain from physical activity. Which means adults need to be more aware of what's going on with individual students to remedy the situation before it gets worse. Experts say parents should be positive role models for their overweight children. If moms and dads encourage exercise at home they can lessen the blows the bullies inflict. Researchers say the key is to make sure overweight children are getting proper exercise whether it's at school or at home. In addition, researchers say schools should create a zero-tolerance culture for bullying and perhaps provide gym teachers with training on how to recognize bullying and intervene. Finally, experts say doctors should be made aware of peer problems when treating overweight children. Researchers say it's important for pediatricians to not only take a child's medical history into consideration, but also his social history, so they can pinpoint the underlying problem and work on a solution. Related Articles: Exercise Helps Overweight Kids Manage Anger Better Kids and Fitness---One Sport or Many? Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantfitness tags parenting | Food | ideas | relationships | Kids | children | holidays | pregnancy | weight loss | family User Comments Samual (11722) 28 Dec 2008 10:01 AMExercising is pointless when the majority of overweight children are fed on fast and tinned food, that is what needs changing. It is strange though, the one child Mikey didn't like in his old school happened to be the fat child, so I explained without mentioning there weight, so he didn't then think fattie, that you should be nice to everyone, even if they are mean sometimes. As a teacher I notice, not all but alot of fat children are spoit at home, so they expect the same to happen at school, when this doesn't happen they tend to become very nasty to other students then claim they are being bullied for being fat, in the last four years at my previous school 9 students have been expelled for doing this. Samual (11722) 28 Dec 2008 10:04 AMdamn  Michele Cheplic |
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