In our weight-obsessed culture, most people's lists of politically incorrect behavior don't include making the fat the butt of our jokes. And fat kids especially are singled out. Studies have shown that as early as nursery school, kids have learned to view fat children negatively, rating them with less approval, for example, than kids with physical disabilities. Fat kids are among the most likely victims of school violence, according to student surveys conducted by the Minnesota Attorney General's office. And it's not just other kids who dish out ridicule.
Many fat kids say adults, including teachers and parents, join in.
From nursery school through college, fat students experience ostracism, discouragement and sometimes violence. I had a few friends, but every once in a while, they would join in, too. I got beat up on a daily basis. They would tell me I was a fat pig, and they would find that an acceptable reason for physical violence. He dreaded going to school.