Bullies Target Obese Kids

usnews ^ | May 3 | Serena Gordon

[JoeProBono]

For kids, a few extra pounds may invite trouble from the schoolyard bully.

New research suggests that just being overweight increases the risk of being bullied. And factors that usually play a role in the risk of being bullied, such as gender, race and family income levels, don't seem to matter if you're overweight -- being overweight or obese trumps all those other factors when it comes to aggressive behavior from other children.

The study found that being overweight increased the risk of being the target of bullying by 63 percent....

[WOBBLY BOB]

“run Forrest, run!”

[gundog]

What ... do people just not remember being a 2nd grade kid?

I guess not. I was thinking this would cease as being overweight is now more the norm. Wouldn't wanna be the skinny kid with a bunch of tubbies bullying him. Of course I guess you just run fast enough to stay beyond their reach and work the flab off of them.

[brytlea]

I think kids always pick on the different ones. My Dad tells me when he was a kid he was picked on for being skinny.

[goseminoles]

Attention fat kids:

It doesn’t get better. Fat adults are bullied too. Get over it.

[dfwgator]

Well we certainly bullied Bobby Bowden for the last 6 years.

[Hot Tabasco]

because when I was a kid, all the bullies WERE the Obese ones.. lol

Same here and I could always out run them........

[HarleyWoodrowMantz]

This just in: Bears practice arborial defecation!

[MuttTheHoople]

Research shows sun rises in the east.

[a fool in paradise]

Duh, we have Mr. and Mrs. Bully in the White House.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

study author Dr. Julie Lumeng, an assistant research scientist at the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Who is this Julie Lumeng related to that she can make a living off of a stupid study like this? This had to be a political payoff. We have trillion dollar deficits to fund this nonsense.

[JoeProBono]

[EricT.]

That kid has no neck!

Future SEIU goon?

[RJS1950]

This suggests that it is not the bullies fault, the fat kid by being fat pushed them to bully. It’s the fat kid’s fault.

More BS studies.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[panthermom]

Down here in GA, we call these kids lineman, all the fast skinny kids love ‘em if they can block.

[JoeProBono]

[Maceman]

New research suggests that just being overweight increases the risk of being bullied.

I guess it all depends on the attitude you project.

[JoeProBono]

May 3, 2:51 PM EDT

Mass. gets new anti-bullying law in suicides’ wake

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BOSTON (AP) — The governor of Massachusetts has signed a bill cracking down on school bullies and requiring teachers to report bullying to principals.

Gov. Deval Patrick signed the bill Monday. It had been passed after the suicides of two students who were said to be victims of intense harassment.

[FourPeas]

"One of the reasons we started this study is that obesity is so much more common today. Now that about half of kids are overweight or obese, it doesn't make you such an outlier anymore, so we thought maybe kids wouldn't be bullied for being overweight anymore," said study author Dr. Julie Lumeng, an assistant research scientist at the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She added that the researchers also hoped they might be able to find some protective factors against being bullied, such as doing well in school.

"What we found, much to our dismay, was that nothing seemed to matter. If you were obese, you were more likely to be bullied, no matter what," she said.

They weren't able to identify any factors that made some fat kids targets for bullies, and others not?